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10/16 15:47 CDT Burly men in Gaza pull trucks and flip tires in competition of
strength
Burly men in Gaza pull trucks and flip tires in competition of strength
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) --- No day in Gaza is normal, but Friday stood out
for its shouts of delight as athletes pulled trucks, flipped massive tires and
heaved weights in a strength competition that drew cheering crowds.
Children and women perched on the rubble of war-destroyed buildings and watched
competitors of the Palestine Strongman Championship tip over tires nearly as
tall as themselves.
The men lifted loaded barbells and hustled across a courtyard echoing with
shouts and music. And there was a frenzy as one man, grimacing and sweating,
lurched along pulling a truck with a rope.
Participating was a "great, indescribable feeling. After three years of
destruction, strikes, hunger and death, we are back in this fantastic
atmosphere," said one bulky participant, Riyad Fattouh.
The organizer, Waleed Owda, said the event had been scheduled for 2021 but was
postponed, and then delayed again in 2023 when war erupted. The Hamas-led
attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, brought Israeli retaliation.
"All sports activities were stopped and all sport clubs and venues were
destroyed in Gaza," Owda said. "Today, with the help of sponsors, we were able
to hold the championship and it is successful, as you can see."
Despite the ruined setting in the Palestinian territory that remains nearly cut
off from the world under a fragile ceasefire, "the youths proved to the world
that Gaza is home to champions," Owda said.
