In Gaza, A Young Horse Rider With Gigantic Dreams

At an equestrian school in western Gaza city, six-year-old Hala al-Batrawi is skillfully riding and jumping meter-tall obstacles amid warm cheers from her parents.



"Thanks to her skill and extensive training, Hala's performance has transcended here age," the girl's coach Ahmed Abdel-Aal told The Anadolu Agency.



Hala joined Aljawad Equestrian Club in western Gaza last year, and she now rides skillfully without any panic or tension.



"Hala is the youngest horse rider in Palestine. Due to her young age and small size, we began her training with obstacles that are only 50 centimeters high," Abdel-Aal said, adding that the girl's agility and ability to jump made him and other coaches aim for higher obstacles.



"She can currently jump her horse over obstacles as high as 150 centimeters," he added.



The girl, meanwhile, said she dreamed to enter the Guinness World Records as the world's youngest female horse rider in obstacle jumping.



She recently came in second position in a Gaza Strip competition where all riders were older than her.



Hala said she felt great joy when she rode her horse. She spoke confidently of her dream to win international competitions and raise the name of her country, Palestine, high.



"My coach said I am much better than kids older than me, and thanks to encouragement from my parents, I hope to win world championships and place my name in the World Records as the world's youngest horsewoman," Hala told AA.



Her father, Kamal al-Batrawi, said his daughter began riding horses before she was five years old and that her affection with horse riding stemmed from the fact her family owned horses.



"Her passion for riding is hereditary," al-Batrawi said of his daughter. "I ride horses, so does my son and other family members," the father said, noting that nobody the girl's age expressed a similar interest in horse riding.



He added that the girl rode horses effortlessly without any fear or panic, which encouraged him to enroll her in the equestrian school.



Just like Hala, her father dreams that one day she will enter the Guinness World Records and win world championships.



But it is not clear whether current conditions in the Gaza Strip will help them realize their dreams.



The blockaded Palestinian enclave has been severely battered by a recent Israeli offensive, one that left thousands of people dead and injured and thousands of homes and public facilities in ruin.



Deteriorating conditions in Gaza, which has been suffering an Israeli blockade since 2007, are said to be also affecting the territory's sports sector.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Gazze