A Landmark Palestinian Championship

Palestinian Ergometer Championship
© Palestinian Rowing Federation

Mid-November, the Palestinian Rowing Federation (PRF) concluded the first quarter of a programme implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP). Holding a landmark championship was indeed a fitting climax to this achievement.

Eight girls and fourteen boys from Shaati refugee camp competed in the first ever Palestinian Ergometer (indoor rowing) Championship on 8 November 2003, in Gaza City.

The event was hosted on the veranda of Al Deira Hotel, one of Gaza’s finest, located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, only a few hundred meters from the refugee camp. It was the first time any of the athletes had ever participated in a national championship or been to Al Deira. After the award ceremony and Iftar (a typical Ramadan meal), the celebration continued with music and dancing.

The event was honoured by the presence of 120 attendees, including delegates from the National Authority, the Palestinian Rowing Federation and other sports federations, as well as the private business sector.