by Sanaa Kamal
GAZA, Apr 7 (NNN-XINHUA) – Ayda Emam, a Palestinian child from Gaza, recently found her way to play squash at a local sports club with her peers.
The 10-year-old child told Xinhua that, she decided to take that sport because it sharpened focus, speed and movement, and taught her how to achieve goals.
“In the past, I watched squash on television only. I thought that it was only for adults,” she said, adding that, she felt happy when she heard the club in Gaza provides opportunity for children too.
“I used to spend many hours playing games on my mobile phone, which negatively affected my brain and my reactions,” she said, adding that, she disliked her surroundings and preferred to stay alone most of the time.
But spending more time with her friends in playing squash encouraged Emam to exercise various kinds of sports, such as running, playing tennis and football.
Riyad al-Atrash is another child who spends many hours a week playing basketball at the same sports club with his friends.
The 14-year-old boy told Xinhua that, exercising sports helps him get rid of the negative energy he may be suffering from, because of the unprecedented situation that was caused by the spread of COVID-19.
“For months, I was forced to stay home, due to the closure imposed by the authorities,” he said. “The lockdown cast a negative shadow on my psychological condition, as I could not meet my friends.”
However, the situation has been changing. “We can practice sports exercises at our homes,” he explained.
Both Ayda and Riyad are looking forward to participating in Arab and international competitions, as soon as possible.
“It is not easy to let children in the Gaza Strip, which has been under 15-year Israeli blockade and suffering from severe economic and political conditions, have their own dreams or achieve them,” Ammar al-Aqqad, technical supervisor of sports activities at the club, said.
The 35-year-old supervisor told Xinhua that the deterioration of conditions in the Gaza Strip, led to behavioral deviations among children, such as their tendencies towards violence or spending more time on their mobile phones, which caused them to become withdrawn and isolated from society.
In an attempt to change this situation, the club adopted a sports programme, as well as, a psychological training plan. “This has helped us increase the number of children affiliated with the club from 100 to 1,300, since the club was established five years ago,” he said.
He explained that, parents became more accepting about the sporting activities as they realised, these unlocked mental and physical benefits that affected positively their children’s health.
According to data issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBC), almost half of the Gazan residents are children, most of whom live in precarious conditions.
The PCBC issued a report on Palestinian Children’s Day occasion. The report said, 44.2 percent of the Palestinian territories’ population are children and the rate is even higher at 47.5 percent in the Gaza Strip.
“Unfortunately, a high rate of the Gazan children live under hard living conditions. They are the most affected by the consequences of political and economic crises, as well as, the pandemic in Gaza, which caused their disconnection from normal life,” said Dirdah al-Shaer, a Gaza-based psychologist.
Al-Shaer called on parents to encourage their children to practice their rights in playing outdoors.– NNN-XINHUA
