The key facts

  • A women's boxing club in Tel al-Hawa (Gaza) resumed training in a tent after its gym and equipment were destroyed.
  • Coach Nader Yassin works with athletes aged 7–40; the sessions help them cope with psychological pressure.
  • According to the Palestinian Sports Media Association, more than 1,000 athletes and scouts have been killed and more than 265 sports facilities destroyed.

Club Resumes Operations in a Tent

Women and girls in the Gaza Strip have resumed boxing training in a tent after their club was destroyed in Israeli attacks on the enclave. The Gaza Boxing Women club, located in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood west of Gaza City, restarted its activities in an improvised tent: the gym was destroyed and the equipment damaged. Although the tent falls far short of the previous conditions, the club's reopening gave the athletes a chance to continue training after a long break.

Coach and Athletes on the Club's Revival

Palestinian coach and national referee Nader Yassin is trying to revive the club with limited resources. Athletes aged 7 to 40 train both to improve their boxing skills and to relieve the psychological pressure caused by the conflict. Yassin told the Anadolu agency that before the attacks the club had a spacious gym with boxing gloves, pads and other equipment. “We lost all our gear and equipment in the Israeli attacks,” he said. “Today, although we have no suitable place to practice sports, we train in a tent with limited resources.” According to him, the training helps women and girls cope with pressure, stay physically fit and temporarily take their minds off the hardships of everyday life. Despite the lack of conditions, Yassin intends to continue his work and hopes to train athletes capable of competing successfully in matches and tournaments.

“We Decided to Rebuild What Was Destroyed”

Athlete Waela Abu Neda said that returning to training means more to her than simply resuming her favorite sport after a three-year break caused by the conflict. She used to train in a proper gym with adequate equipment, but the destruction of the club deprived her of the opportunity to train. “After three years of Israeli attacks, we decided to start over and rebuild what was destroyed,” Abu Neda said. “Today, despite very limited resources, the lack of a suitable place and a shortage of equipment, we did not give up. We continue training, even in a tent.” According to her, boxing is more than a sport to her: training helps her cope with the stress and psychological pressure accumulated during the attacks, release negative energy and partially restore inner balance. “The war did not let me do sports for three years, but I did not give up. Today I have returned to start over,” she added.

The Scale of the Damage to Sports in Gaza

Mustafa Siam, secretary-general of the Palestinian Sports Media Association, previously told Anadolu that Palestinians in Gaza are striving to revive sports activity after three years of Israeli attacks. According to his data, more than 1,000 athletes and scouts have been killed during this time, and more than 265 sports facilities have been completely or partially destroyed. Siam noted that the return of tournaments to Gaza will mean more than just resuming competitions: sports can help children and young people affected by war, displacement and loss recover psychologically and socially while maintaining their athletic skills.

Overall Casualty Figures

According to the overall figures cited in the publication, since October 2023 Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, wounded 175,000, and destroyed or damaged about 90% of the enclave's infrastructure.