Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - In front of a gym's empty bleachers, a group of veiled women in wheelchairs exchange passes, practicing to form a female Paralympic basketball team in the Gaza Strip.
Wessal Abu Alyan, a 40-year-old mother of four, said playing helped her "feel free and strong".
"I try to ignore the negative looks from people toward the disabled, but I know there's still a long way to go before we are completely integrated in society," she said.
As the women practiced, they were given advice and encouragement from Jess Markt, an American who began playing wheelchair basketball after a spinal cord injury when he was 19.