Gaza girl dreams to run in Tokyo Olympics

Although she is only 15 years old, Inas Noufal, the youngest ever Palestinian female runner from al-Mughazi refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, succeeded to win in several running competitions held in the coastal enclave.

The young girl started a gradual training on running in August last year. She started her program with a 200-meter distance, now she said she is able to run up to 10 kilometers.

The conservative tradition of Gaza hasn' t prevented Noufal from practicing sports, especially running. Under the guidance of her coach, Noufal runs with her longsleeved shirt and trousers in the narrow streets of the refugee camp or on the beach of Gaza.

"I was supposed to go to the West Bank to participate in the Bethlehem marathon, but I didn' t get the permission from Israel," the young girl told Xinhua.

She was not able to leave Gaza to UAE in February and Bethlehem early this month for marathon events due to the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007.

She went on saying that "my dream is to bring a gold medal on behalf of Palestine and to etch the name of Palestine in the Olympics and the history of the Olympics. I dream to participate in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020."

The young girl recently won in a 3,000 meter-long race organized by one of Gaza universities. The other running events include 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and 1,500 meters.

Nader Halawa, chairman of the Palestine Athletic Federation, said that "I' m glad that Inas won in the 3,000-meter race. The federation will provide all aid and support her. The purpose of this match is to discover young female talents in athletics, and I hope one day they could represent the state of Palestine to join the international arena."

Sami Nateel, Noufal's coach, said he hopes that the girl would etch the name of Palestine in world sports events.

"I hope she will be the first runner who harvests a gold medal when she joins the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020," said Nateel.

The young girl and her coach are intensifying the training, hoping that she will have opportunities to participate in an international event, including a marathon somewhere in the world before joining the Tokyo Olympics.

Nateel said that the Palestine Athletic Federation is providing support to the young girl, aiming to turn her into a professional international runner.