Gaza beach volleyball team chases dream at Hangzhou Games

STORY: Gaza beach volleyball team chases dream at Hangzhou Games DATELINE: Sept. 13, 2023 LENGTH: 0:02:04 LOCATION: GAZA, Palestine CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the training 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDULLAH AL-ARQAN, Gaza-based beach volleyball player 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MOHAMMED AL-QISHAWI, Gaza-based beach volleyball player 4. various of the training STORYLINE: Racing against time, a five-member beach volleyball team from Gaza has been busy training for the 19th Asian Games in China's Hangzhou. The team, including four athletes and a coach, told Xinhua they spend eight hours a day in order to be able to challenge their competitors in China. Gaza-based player Abdullah Al-Arqan started to play volleyball when he was six years old as he used to attend matches with his father, who was the famous volleyball player in Gaza. However, Al-Arqan's path to competing was not smooth, as he was physically very thin. Moreover, the instable political and economic situation in the Gaza Strip, home t

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(230911) -- GAZA CITY, Sept. 11, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian beach volleyball player Abdullah Al-Arqan (Front) and his coach Khalid Al-Arqan attend a training in Gaza City Aug. 7, 2023. TO GO WITH "Feature: Gaza beach volleyball team chase dreams at Hangzhou Games" (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(230911) -- GAZA CITY, Sept. 11, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian beach volleyball player Abdullah Al-Arqan attends a training in Gaza City Aug. 7, 2023. TO GO WITH "Feature: Gaza beach volleyball team chase dreams at Hangzhou Games" (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(230911) -- GAZA CITY, Sept. 11, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian beach volleyball player Abdullah Al-Arqan (R) and Khalid Al-Arqan, Abullah's father and coach, are seen in their house in Gaza City Aug. 7, 2023. TO GO WITH "Feature: Gaza beach volleyball team chase dreams at Hangzhou Games" (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(230911) -- GAZA CITY, Sept. 11, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian beach volleyball player Abdullah Al-Arqan (L) and his teammate Ibrahim Qassiya attend a training in Gaza City Aug. 7, 2023. TO GO WITH "Feature: Gaza beach volleyball team chase dreams at Hangzhou Games" (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(SP)MIDEAST-GAZA CITY-ASIAN GAMES-BEACH VOLLEYBALL

(230911) -- GAZA CITY, Sept. 11, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian beach volleyball player Abdullah Al-Arqan and his teammate Ibrahim Qassiya (C), their coach Khalid Al-Arqan (R) attend a training in Gaza City Aug. 7, 2023. TO GO WITH "Feature: Gaza beach volleyball team chase dreams at Hangzhou Games" (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)