Near the port of Gaza City, girls practice roller-skating and skateboarding at a skate park decorated with graffiti, in the hope of a promising future in the sport and to challenge the general belief that this sport is for boys only.

Rajab al-Rifi, the 25-year-old coach of the Gaza skate team, told Al-Monitor that skating is not well known as a sport in the Gaza Strip. "It was initially only popular among older youth, as it requires focus and a lot of practice," he said, adding, "The idea of setting up a team of girl skaters came up in 2019. The team consists of 12 girls, aged 3-12. [The idea] has been a qualitative leap that stopped this sport from being limited to boys in Gaza.”

Rifi said girl skaters are being trained every Friday for an hour or two in the morning, when there are few people around, to "preserve their privacy." They learn skills and rules for roller-skating and skateboarding, which helps prevent injuries and at the same time boosts their confidence.

Rifi noted, “Social customs and traditions prevent many girls from practicing this sport, especially when their families do not encourage them to practice. Many girl skaters find it difficult to obtain roller skates, which are not available in the Gaza Strip, except in the stores that sell used stuff or those imported from Israel.”