• Menu
  • Menu
  • Sports
  • Subscribe now
    Digital subscription Print subscription Print+Digital (Bundle)
  • Logout
Digital subscription
Print subscription
Print+Digital (Bundle)
Trending
UAE holidays 2022 Golf in UAE Gratuity Calculator Mind Your Migraine
  • Latest News
  • UAE
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Government
      • Sheikh Khalifa passes away
    • Health
      • Why Worry
    • Transport
    • Science
    • Weather
    • Ask the Law
    • Reader Complaint
    • UAE's Hope Probe
  • Living In UAE
    • Visa+Immigration
    • Housing
    • Phone+Internet
    • Banking
    • Transport
    • Health
    • Education
    • Relocate
    • Ask Us
    • Safety+Security
  • UAE Success Stories
  • Business
    • Banking
    • Aviation
    • Property
    • Energy
    • Analysis
    • Tourism
    • Markets
    • Retail
    • Corporate News
  • Best Buys
    • Electronics
    • Home and Kitchen
    • Offers
    • Consumables
    • Lifestyle
  • Your Money
    • Saving and Investment
    • Budget Living
    • Taxation
    • Expert Columns
    • Community Tips
    • Cryptocurrency
  • Food
    • Cooking and Cuisines
    • Guide to Cooking
  • Games
    • Daily Crossword
    • Sudoku
    • Word Search
    • Spell It
    • Play
  • Play Games
  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Baby
    • Learning & Play
    • Child Health
    • For Mums & Dads
    • Ask Us
    • Games
  • Discounts
  • Magical Dubai
    • Dubai Life
    • Live the Luxury
    • Culture and History
    • Adventure
    • Staying Connected
  • World
    • Gulf
      • Bahrain
      • Kuwait
      • Oman
      • Qatar
      • Saudi
      • Yemen
      • Games
    • Mena
    • Europe
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
      • India
      • Pakistan
      • Philippines
    • Oceania
    • Offbeat
    • Coronavirus
    • Infographics
    • Special Reports
    • Games
    • Corrections
  • Special Reports
  • Photos
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Readers' Photos
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Eds
    • Letters
    • Off the Cuff
    • From the Editors
  • Sport
    • UAE Sport
    • Horse Racing
      • Dubai World Cup
    • Cricket
      • IPL
        • Chennai
        • Delhi
        • Punjab
        • Kolkata
        • Mumbai
        • Rajasthan
        • Bangalore
        • Hyderabad
        • Gujarat
        • Lucknow
        • Live Scores
        • Point Table
        • Top Scorers
      • ICC
    • Motorsport
    • Football
    • Tennis
    • Rugby
    • Golf in UAE
      • UAE
      • World
      • Photos & Videos
      • Course Reviews
      • Eagle Eye
      • Learn to Play
      • Gear
  • Entertainment
    • Hollywood
    • Bollywood
    • Pakistani Cinema
    • South Indian
    • Arab Celebs
    • Music
    • TV
    • Books
    • Theatre
    • Arts+Culture
  • Expo 2020
    • News
    • Photos
    • Pavilions
    • Visit the Expo
    • Experience the UAE
    • Entertainment
    • Videos
  • Going Out
  • Auto
    • News
    • Test Drives
    • Car Culture
    • Auto Care
  • Lifestyle
    • Health+Fitness
    • Community
    • Fashion
  • GN Reach
  • Jobs
  • Tech
    • Electronics
    • Gaming
    • Media
  • Videos
    • How-To
    • Best Of Bollywood
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Business
    • Sport
    • Community
    • Technology
  • Travel
  • GN Focus
    • Special Features
  • Mind Your Migraine
  • 50 MENA Leaders
  • The Kurator
    • Share
    • Dare
    • Flair
  • Bayat Chapters
  • Gold-Forex
  • Gratuity Calculator
  • Notifications
  • Gold/Forex
  • Prayer Times
  • Cinema Listing
  • Newsletters
  • About Gulf News
  • Contact us
  • Work with us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Gulf News store
  • Advertise with us
  • Reach by GN
  • GN Focus
  • Gulf News epaper
  • Sitemap
  • Have your say
  • © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2022. All rights reserved.
    In Gaza, parkour brings youngsters a taste of freedom

    Photos

    Login / Sign Up
    Logout
    Saturday, June 25, 2022
    Gold / Forex

    Photos Sports

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Readers' Photos
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Sports
    All Sections

    In Gaza, parkour brings youngsters a taste of freedom

    Parkour, an extreme sport also known as free-running, originated in France in the 1990s


    Published:  January 25, 2021 07:56 AFP  and  compiled by Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor

    1 of 11
    Copy of 410998-01-02-1611545961872
    Using crutches, Palestinian Mohamed Aliwa (pictured) leaps from one concrete slab to another, determined that his missing leg won't stop him doing parkour, a sport that brings respite from grim reality in Gaza. Image Credit: AFP
    2 of 11
    Copy of 410999-01-02-1611545964514
    The Palestinian teen's right leg was amputated near the knee in 2018 after he was hit by Israeli army fire during protests along the fortified border separating the Gaza Strip from Israel. Image Credit: AFP
    3 of 11
    Copy of 410996-01-02-1611545987839
    Along with his lower leg, he lost his dream of being a professional parkour athlete, he told AFP. But watching his friends jumping from obstacle to obstacle, the 18-year-old, who now sometimes makes use of a prosthetic limb, decided that his disability shouldn't bring his moves to an end. Image Credit: AFP
    4 of 11
    Copy of 411000-01-02-1611545967159
    Parkour, an extreme sport also known as free-running, originated in France in the 1990s. It involves navigating urban obstacles using a fast-paced mix of jumping, vaulting, running and rolling. Image Credit: AFP
    5 of 11
    Copy of 410997-01-02-1611545959150
    In Gaza, young people have been practising parkour for years. But even the easiest jump carries risks, and that is why Jihad Abu Sultan, 32, opened what he says is the "first parkour academy in the Palestinian territories", with the support of French sporting goods giant Decathlon. Image Credit: AFP
    6 of 11
    Copy of 410995-01-02-1611545985183
    "I started doing parkour in 2005," he said at his club in Al-Shati refugee camp, near Gaza City. "At the time, we didn't have a dedicated space, we trained in cemeteries and on the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israel". Image Credit: AFP
    7 of 11
    Copy of 410990-01-02-1611545972338
    Abu Sultan says that the sport was practised by individuals on an ad hoc basis until two months ago, when he came together with fellow enthusiasts to establish the club, which they call "Wallrunners". Image Credit: AFP
    8 of 11
    Copy of 410991-01-02-1611545975167
    It teaches the sport "in a safe way, far from the dangers of the street," he told AFP. It has a modest budget but already has some 70 members, including seven girls, who can jump from one wooden block to another, perform somersaults and swing on parallel bars. On the ground are rubber mats, to soften falls. Image Credit: AFP
    9 of 11
    Copy of 410993-01-02-1611545979671
    For some, Parkour shines a ray of light into what is a dreary existence. "For a generation of young Palestinians who have grown up in a flood of under-employment, it has become a method of self-expression, an escape, and a way of life," says the Wallrunners website in English. Image Credit: AFP
    10 of 11
    Copy of 410994-01-02-1611545982470
    The club is due to hold the first parkour competition in Gaza in February, if restrictions linked to the novel coronavirus pandemic allow it. Image Credit: AFP
    11 of 11
    Copy of 410992-01-02-1611545977352
    Parkour is young, dynamic, and subversive. A sport that is perhaps custom fit for places like Gaza, and the energy, creativity and resilience of its youth. Image Credit: AFP

    Trending

    • Most messy, expensive divorces: From Murdoch to Bezos

      Most messy, expensive divorces: From Murdoch to Bezos


    • First Etihad Rail passenger station to be in Fujairah

      First Etihad Rail passenger station to be in Fujairah

    Latest In

    • Earthquake of magnitude 5.7 strikes southern Iran

      13 minutes ago

    • UAE: Max temperatures, humidity at 50°C and 90 per cent

      46 minutes ago

    • Treating your mind as a friend

      49 minutes ago

    • India to soon roll out e-Passports for citizens

      1 hour ago

    • Prescott Real Estatelaunches Prime Gardens

      1 hour ago

    Go back to top
    Network links:
    • Friday
    • Watch Time
    • getthat
    • Jobs
    • About Gulf News
    • Contact us
    • Work with us
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Gulf News store
    • Advertise with us
    • Reach by GN
    • GN Focus
    • Gulf News epaper
    • Sitemap
    • Have your say
    Find us on Social
    © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2022. All rights reserved.
    This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.
    Share on Facebook
    Share on Twitter
    Share on Whatsapp
    Share on Mail
    Share on LinkedIn
    Close
    Gulf News

    Get Breaking News Alerts From Gulf News

    We’ll send you latest news updates through the day. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon.

    Subscribe No Thanks
    Continue reading Gulf News
    Dear Reader, please register to read gulfnews.com

    Dear Reader,

    This section is about Living in UAE and essential information you cannot live without.

    Register to read and get full access to gulfnews.com

    Create your account
    or login if you already have one
    First name is required.
    Last name is required.
    Please enter a valid email address.
    Password should have minimum 7 characters with at least one letter and number
    Passwords do not match

    By clicking below to sign up, you're agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

    Login your account
    New to Gulf News? Sign up now
    Please enter your email address.
    Please enter your password.

    Forgot password

    or