SOURCE: SNTV

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DURATION: 02:59

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

To mark one hundred days to the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, there were celebrations in the West Bank town of Ramallah as Palestinian athletes prepare to attend the London Games.

The event, co-hosted by the British Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Palestine Olympic Committee, kicked off near the grave of late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, a mausoleum in the government compound, also known as the Muqata.

There were plenty of flags and hundreds of Palestinian youths competing in two races, but none of the four prospective Olympians - the two runners and two swimmers are all training abroad ahead of the summer Games.

One of the four team members is from Gaza.

"We are helping them the best we can in Gaza with some equipment and some training and we hope that they will succeed. The very fact that they are taking part in these games of friendship means that Palestine has already succeeded" said Sir Vincent Fean, the British Consul General in Jerusalem.

A British Consulate official in Jerusalem said that the UK government will be providing funding for the Palestinian official tracksuits and suits that the team will wear at Olympic ceremonies.

Jibril Rajoub, Head of Palestinian Sport Union, stressed the importance, though through a "humble" presence, for Palestinians to attend this "moral and humanity event".

"The Olympics are a common interest for the world's nations and Palestinian participation, even if it will be humble (modest) this time, paves the way for the next participation, it makes our people proud, and it makes Palestine rise to the level of being a part of this moral and humanity event and this helps us to carry out a message to the world through sports," Rajoub said.

SHOTLIST: Ramallah, West Bank. 18th April 2012

1. 00:00 People about to cross starting line in 'celebration race'

2. 00:04 T-shirt saying "Palestine Olympic day"

3. 00:10 Cutaway sign saying "London 2012"

4. 00:16 Children running

5. 00:27 Poster reading "London 2012, Palestine's Olympic year"

6. 00:33 SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent Fean, British Consul General in Jerusalem:

"Today we're in the Muqata of Palestine to welcome the fact that in a hundred days there will be representatives of Palestine, in my capital, in London, running and swimming, to represent the Palestinian people along with all the other countries of the world at the Olympic games, the 30th Olympics in London. Immediately after that we have the Para Olympics and a strong team from Gaza will represent you in those games. We wish them well."

7. 01:05 Palestinian team at Muqata

8. 01:10 Officials sitting at ceremony

9. 01:15 Various of band playing

10. 01:39 SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent Fean, British Consul General in Jerusalem:

"We are helping them the best we can in Gaza with some equipment and some training and we hope that they will succeed. The very fact that they are taking part in these games of friendship means that Palestine has already succeeded."

11. 01:54 Children running

12. 02:04 Jibril Rajoub, head of Palestinian sports union walking with official

13. 02:08 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Jibril Rajoub Head of Palestinian Sport Union:

"The Olympics are the common interest for the world's nations, the Palestinian participation, even if it will be humble this time, it paves the way for the next participation, it makes our people proud, and it makes Palestine rise to the level of being a part of this moral and humanity event and this helps us to carry out a message to the world through sports."

14. 02:38 Palestinians waving flags

15. 02:45 Cutaway flags being waved

16. 02:48 Sign saying "Palestine Olympic Day"

17. 02:55 Cutaway Palestinian flag

SOURCE: SNTV

STORYLINE

On Wednesday (9th March) the Palestinian national soccer team lost out on a place at next year's Olympic Games in London after they found themselves on the wrong end of a 6-5 scoreline against Thailand on penalties in Al-Ram on the West Bank.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Bangkok, Abdul Hamid Abuhabib scored the only goal for the home side just before half-time, but they couldn't add to their advantage and after extra time they lost out in the shootout.

However, the game could assume greater importance in the years to come - it marked the first time that Palestine had hosted a competitive match at international level and their fans are hoping that the event represents another step on road to independence.

SUGGESTED VOICEOVER:

The Palestinian national football team played host to Thailand in the second leg of their Olympic qualifier in Al-Ram on the West Bank on Wednesday in a football match of great significance - it was to be the first time that Palestine had hosted an international on home soil.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the head of the Palestinian Football Union, Jibril Rajoub, said it would represent another step on the long road to independence.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

"For the first time in the history of Palestine under the Palestinian flag we will be hosting the second leg match on the Palestinian land. This step must be a breakthrough for the cause of the Palestinian people, which is independence, freedom and an end to the occupation."

SUPER CAPTION: Jibril Rajoub, Head of the Palestinian Football Union

The match itself was played at the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in the West Bank town of Al-Ram and attracted a partisan crowd, hoping for a home victory.

Thailand won the first leg 1-0 in Bangkok and set out to defend their narrow lead - however, Palestine got back on level terms just before half-time when Abdul Hamid Abuhabib scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game.

After a goalless second half and extra time, the dreaded penalty shot-out ensued and to the dismay of the home support, which included Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Jibril Rajoub, the Thais won out by 6 goals to five.

Nevertheless, Wednesday's match did represent a great sporting victory for Palestine.

According to Rajoub, the last time an international athletic competition took place in what are now the Palestinian territories was way back in 1934.

That game was played in east Jerusalem, then part of British Mandatory Palestine prior to Israeli independence in 1948.

The exact history behind the occasion is unclear, but it is believed a British team comprising of both Arabs and Jews lost 4-1 to an Egyptian team.

SHOTLIST:

Ramallah, West Bank. 9th March and Al-Ram, West Bank. 9th March 2011

Ramallah, West Bank:

1. 00:00 Wide shot of press conference

2. 00:07 Cutaway

3. 00:11 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Jibril Rajoub, Head of Palestinian Football Union

Al-Ram, West Bank:

4. 00:49 Various of match action in the second leg of the Palestine-Thailand qualifier

5. 01:06 Mid shot of Palestinian fans waving flags

6. 01:13 Mid shot female Palestinian supporters

7. 01:21 Further of match action

8. 01:58 Mid shot of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam fayyad and Head of Palestinian Football Union Jibril Rajoub

9. 02:07 Further of match action

10: 02:26 Palestinian team in a 'huddle'

The second annual Palestine Marathon took place on Friday (11 April) in Bethlehem.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Runners pounded the streets around the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday as 2,500 people took part in the second annual Palestine Marathon.

But the Palestinian Olympic runner, Nader Masri, who lives in the Gaza Strip, was barred by Israel from travelling to the West Bank to participate in the race.

Masri was one of 30 runners prevented from travelling to Bethlehem, highlighting Israel's tight restrictions on travel in and out of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The Palestine Olympic Committee said 2,500 people took part in the race, including some 700 runners from Europe.

The participants ran a half-marathon course, which is 21.0975 kilometres (13.1 miles) in length.

The race started and finished at the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square and parts of the route followed the Israeli-built West Bank separation barrier.

Israel says the barrier is needed to keep Palestinian attackers out of Israel, while Palestinians say the barrier stifles their towns and villages and cuts them off from their land.

Olympic runner Nader Masri's travel ban was upheld on Tuesday by Israel's Supreme Court, who ruled that they could not intervene in the defence minister's policy considerations, but suggested the military consider more exemptions from the travel ban.

Masri, who participated in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, trains daily on the streets in and around his home town of Beit Hanoun and does three sessions a week in the gym.

He said he was very disappointed not to have been allowed to take part in the Bethlehem race.

Even under Israel's stringent criteria, Masri should have stood a good chance of getting an exit permit.

Those permitted to leave Gaza, at least in principle, include members of the Palestinian Olympic team and the Palestinian football team, according to guidelines published in 2011 by the branch of Israel's military dealing with implementing this policy.

Bethlehem, Palestine - 11th April 2014

1. 00:00 Wide shot of runners at start of marathon

2. 00:05 Medium shot of runners from the back

3. 00:10 Wide shot of runners

4. 00:15 Mid of local scouts handing water to runners

5. 00:21 Mid of runners passing police car

6. 00:26 SOUNDBITE (English) Nazem Al Khatib, secretary general of Palestinian Olympic Committee:

"They are training for one year in Gaza to participate in this marathon but, unfortunately, as usual what (do) the Israelis do - they refuse to give them their permission, without any reason, just they said 'security reasons', without anything (i.e. further).They are participating in Peking and Athens and London some of them. Even that, they didn't give them the permission to come. They reach China but they cannot reach Bethlehem."

7. 00:54 Various of marathon

8. 01:12 SOUNDBITE (English) Jacob Holdt, Danish competitor:

"This peace process runs out on my 67th birthday, on 29th of April, and it will be the biggest gift for me if he (United States Secretary of State John Kerry) could achieve some peace between Palestine and Israel. So I'm running for peace."

9. 01:28 Runners arrive at finish line

10. 01:32 SOUNDBITE (English) Rami, competitor from Ramallah:

"That's amazing actually, many Palestinians can't get out of Palestine, so now we have the world coming to Bethlehem, so this is just amazing."

11. 01:39 Runners celebrating at end of marathon

Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip - 9th April 2014

12. 01:42 Various of Nader Masri and trainer running through streets

13. 01:56 Various of Nader Masri and trainer stretching

14. 02:07 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nader Masri, former Olympic competitor from Gaza:

"I'm truly sad. I wish I could participate in this marathon but the circumstances here, which is the Israeli side's rejection (no Israeli permit to cross from Gaza to West Bank), prevents me from participating in it."

15. 02:17 Mid of Nader Masri stretching

16. 02:22 Mid of Nader Masri swinging arms during warm-up

17. 02:27 Wide of Nader Masri and trainer running

SHOTLIST:

Faisal Al-Huseni Stadium, Al Ram, Palestine - 21 May 2013

1. 00:00 Wide shot of flags

2. 00:05 Various of Palestinian women's football team (red shirts) playing Chinese Taipei women's football team (blue shirts)

3. 00:14 Wide shot of fans

4. 00:18 Various of match

5. 00:53 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Yaheah Salieh, 44 year-old Palestinian fan from Ramallah:

"Frankly, the Palestinian team need to be fitter and more aware tactically in their play and we can see that the Chinese team has better fitness and are sharper tactically, so they are playing better than the Palestinian team."

6. 01:12 Wide shot of fans

7. 01:17 SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Schaller, sport analyst from Freiburg, Germany:

"I think the Palestinians are better than they seem to be maybe or maybe they even think of themselves. So, an argument for that is, for example, the balls that go out and forward very fast and uncontrolled. Even when they conquer the ball, they should try to hold the ball, to pass the ball, to play the ball and it seems obvious that there is some nervousness among them, so if they get cooler in this point they will be even more successful in the future."

8. 01:52 Wide shot of fans

9. 01:57 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sahar Salieh, 28 year-old Palestinian fan from Ramallah:

"I want to say, as a Palestinian woman, it's great to see Palestinian women participating and playing football. For sure, they need more training and support, but in the future they will become better."

10. 02:15 Wide shot of Palestinian national women football team with the Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad and the chairman of Palestine Football Association Jibril Rajoub

11. 02:20 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Israa Alzabon, striker, Palestinian national women's football team:

"We are not happy with the result of the game, 6-0, but the body fitness and the experience of the Chinese players had an effect on this result. For the first 37 minutes they make the first goal and in the next few minutes they had another three goals, so this deflated our spirits."

12. 02:42 Various shots of the match

13. 02:48 Wide shot of screen in English reading TPE 6 PAL 0 at 90 minutes

14. 02:54 Wide shot of teams shaking hands at the end of the game

SOURCE: SNTV

STORYLINE:

Palestine has begun hosting qualifying matches for the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time, with Group D fixtures taking place at Al Ram's Faisal Al-Huseni International Stadium from Tuesday (21st May) until Saturday (25th May).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Palestine, Chinese Taipei, Myanmar and India will play each other in Al Ram over the course of this week, with the group winners progressing to the AFC Women's Asian Cup finals in Japan next year.

The opening match at the Faisal Al-Huseni Stadium was between Palestine and Chinese Taipei.

It was no surprise that the three-time continental champions won the encounter - 6-0 the scale of Palestine's defeat.

Chinese Taipei went ahead after just five minutes and never looked back.

"Frankly, the Palestinian team need to be fitter and more aware tactically in their play and we can see that the Chinese team has better fitness and are sharper tactically, so they are playing better than the Palestinian team," said spectator Yaheah Salieh from Ramallah.

Fellow fan Sahar Salieh was just pleased to see the Palestinian women's team participate at such a high level.

Lin Ya-han, who opened the scoring, netted twice more in the second half to complete her hat-trick.

"We are not happy with the result of the game, 6-0, but the body fitness and the experience of the Chinese players had an effect on this result," Palestinian striker Israa Alzabon said later.

In Tuesday's other match, Myanmar beat India 2-0.

Palestine take on Myanmar on Thursday (23rd May) in the second round of matches before they complete their programme against India on Saturday.

SNTV Features

Brazilian football star Ronaldo received a hero's welcome in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, with hundreds of well wishers jostling to get a glimpse of the Real Madrid footballer during a visit on Monday. (16th May 2005)

Ronaldo, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program was on a one day visit to the region which also included a trip to Israel.

He was there to participate in a UNDP project that brings young Israeli and Palestinian football players together.

SUGGESTED VOICE OVER:

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday (16th May 2005) to greet Ronaldo, the Brazilian football star.

Visiting in his capacity as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Real Madrid player wanted to take a first-hand look at UNDP youth and anti-poverty projects .

Fans - including a busload of Brazilian-born Palestinians wearing the country's yellow-and-green jersey - chanted "Ronaldo, Ronaldo" and pushed the player's bodyguards in an attempt to touch their hero.

Surrounded by a tight ring of bodyguards to get through the chanting crowds, Ronaldo first visited the office of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia where he signed footballs.

The beaming Qureia escorted Ronaldo out of the building before he continued on to a local school, where the superstar received yet another boisterous welcome.

SOUNDBITE: (Portuguese)

"I only wanted to say how happy I am to be making this visit and how proud I am to see everybody so happy around me. I hope you'll enjoy my presence very much. I thank you for this marvellous reception and I hope to return many more times, always on a mission of peace."

SUPERCAPTION: Ronaldo

During his visit to Ramallah, Ronaldo inaugurated a new Centre for Disadvantaged Youth and visited several anti-poverty UNDP projects.

They include the UNDP's "Football Workshops", which have been designed to promote sport as a forum to teach leadership, confidence, and discipline, based on the principles of tolerance, cooperation, and respect.

Later on, Ronaldo visited Israel as a special guest of the Peres Centre for peace.

Ronaldo and Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres met at the "Twinned Peace Football Schools", which are a part of a Palestinian-Israeli project to bring children closer together through sport.

SOUNDBITE: (Portuguese)

"It's a real pleasure to be here and it's a real pleasure for me to see how many people are happy about my presence. I know that football can bring people together and try and bring about peace and put an end to their problems"

SUPERCAPTION: Ronaldo

Ronaldo was there to meet some 800 young Palestinian and Israeli participants of the project who will play in mixed teams in a tournament held in his honour.

SHOTLIST: Ramallah - Palestine - 16th May 2005

Betuniya checkpoint, near Ramallah, West Bank

1. 00:00 - UN trucks accompany Ronaldo through checkpoint

2. 00:20 - Ronaldo stepping out of car, crowds cheering and chanting his name

Ramallah, West Bank

3. 00:45 - Ronaldo arriving, surrounded by fans and crowds

4. 00:49 - Ronaldo makes his way through the door

5. 01:05 - Meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia

6. 01:12 - Ronaldo signing ball with a placard in yellow with his number "9" on it

7. 01:15 - Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia

8. 01:24 - Ronaldo waves as he leaves

9. 01:35 - Supporters in Brazil shirts cheering in car as they drive past

10. 01:42 - Inside sports centre at Al-Hashimiya school

11. 01:47 - Child holding up Brazil football shirt

12. 01:53 - Ronaldo arrives, and waves

13. 01:58 - Crowd of young fans cheering him as he walks in

14. 02:08 - SOUNDBITE: Ronaldo (Portuguese)

15. 02:43 - Ronaldo leaves surrounded by crowds pushing and shoving to get closer to him

16. 02:51 - Ronaldo, at a new centre named in his honour, posing for photo wearing a Keffiyeh (traditional Palestinian headscarf) with someone holding Palestinian flag behind him

17. 03:00 - His car leaves, surrounded by supporters

Herzliya, Central Israel 16/06

18. 03:15 - Wideshot of fans waiting for Ronaldo

19. 03:20 - Close up of Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres arriving

20. 03:25 - Ronaldo and Shimon Peres walking together

21. 03:36 - Crowds around Ronaldo

22. 03:40 - Shimon Peres

23. 04:46 - Ronaldo and kids in group photo

24. 04:10 - Shimon Peres and Ronaldo together

25. 04:23 - SOUNDBITE: Ronaldo (portuguese)

26. 05:02 - Ronaldo walking among the crowds of fans

Palestinian Football Federation threatens to urge next month's FIFA Congress in Brazil to take sanctions against Israel in protest against alleged recent attacks by soldiers on Palestinian sportsmen in the occupied territories.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Football Federation (PFF), threatened to call for sanctions against Israel in protest against alleged recent attacks by Israeli soldiers against Palestinian sportsmen.

Rajoub, who is also head of the Palestine Olympic Committee, referred to the recent arrest of a Palestine footballer and the shooting of two other players who were reportedly shot in the legs by Israel soldiers.

Jawhar Nasser Jawhar, 19, and Adam Abd al-Raouf Halabiya, 17, were allegedly shot at al-Zaayyem checkpoint near Abu Dis in Jerusalem as they walked home from their sports club.

Doctors have since confirmed the pair is unlikely to be able to play sports again due to the severity of their injuries.

On returning from Jordan where they received treatment they were arrested.

Last month a player of Palestine national soccer team, Sameh Moraebe, 22, was arrested by Israeli military forces en route to Qatar.

Coach Jamal Mahmoud has denounced the arrest of the players.

PFF is threatening to take its grievances to the FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo on June 10th-11th that will be held just before the start of the World Cup in Brazil.

The Palestinians have long accused Israel of restricting sport people's mobility inside the West Bank and between the West Bank and Gaza, preventing players from participating in international tournaments and banning the entry of sports equipment that Palestinian teams and stadiums need.

Israel justifies these measures on security grounds.

Rajoub had previously raised the issue of travel for Palestinian athletes at the FIFA congress in Mauritius in June last year. There, he said that, should the matter not be resolved, he would call on delegates to expel Israel at the next congress

The 150th-ranked Palestine football team's next important international match, when it needs players to travel freely, is at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, to be held in the Maldives over May 19-30.

The winner of the eight-nation tournament advances to the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia.

West Bank, Palestine. 13 May, 2014.

1. 00:00 Various of the Palestinian FA head quarter

2. 00:12 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Jibril Rajoub, President Of Palestinian Football Federation (PFF):

" Without a doubt its a provocative act. the shooting and arrest of the players after coming back from a treatment defies the whole world. Israel will pay the price next month's at the FIFA congress".

3. 00:27 Mid of Adam Halabiya in hospital

4. 00:31 Close-up of heart rate monitor

5. 00:35 Close-up of Adam Halabiya

6. 00:39 Close-up of Adam Halabiya hand

7. 00:43 Mid of Jawhar Halabiya

8. 00:47 Close-up of Jawhar Halabiya

9. 00:51 Close-up of Jawhar Halabiya hands

10. 00:55 Mid of Adam Halabiya in hospital

11. 00:59 Close-up of Nasser Jawhar Halabiya

12. 01:03 Mid of Jerusalem

13. 01:07 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Nasser Jawhar Halabiya, Father of Jawhar Halabiya

" Their return was a setback for us, their arrest is setback for us and the country. Everyone were waiting for them to come back safe".

14. 01:18 Various of the palestinian team training

15. 01:30 Close- up of Palestinian coach Jamal Mahmoud talking to the players

16. 01:33 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Jamal Mahmoud, Palestine Coach

" I hope they were with us, because that would be an extra for us, but the occupation always put obstacles for the Palestinian sport".

17. 01:46 Various of the palestinian team training

18. 01:57 Various GV of the West Bank

SHOTLIST:

Ramallah, Jerusalem, Palestine. April 12th, 2013.

1. 00:00 Maher Abu Rmeileh on his motorbike heading to the sports training centre.

2. 00:18 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Maher Abu Rmeileh, Palestinian athlete.

"Of course my dream is to take part in the Olympics held in Brazil four years from now. Then I will work on coaching the Palestinian national team to enable him to achieve Olympic medals, not only national and international medals."

3. 00:36 Abu Rmeileh opening the door of the training centre in Ramallah.

4. 00:43 Abu Rmeileh putting on his training Judo suit.

5. 01:00 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Maher Abu Rmeileh, Palestinian athlete

"I started practising when I was five years old. My father was a Judo coach and he used to take me with him to training until I took part in the Junior championships and I stood out from all other athletes due to my exceptional talent."

6. 01:11 Abu Rmeileh training with team-mates.

7. 01:16 Various training shots.

8. 01:29 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Maher Abu Rmeileh, Palestinian athlete.

"When we received the news that Palestine qualified to the Olympics on merit instead of via wild-card invite, this brought a lot of joy to the Olympians as well as to the Palestinian Olympic Committee because it was the first time this ever happened in Palestine's history."

9. 01:44 Various shots of Maher Abu Rmeileh training with his cousin, Wissam Abu Rmeileh.

10. 02:06 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Wissam Abu Rmeileh, Palestinian athlete & cousin of Maher Abu Rmeileh

"Ever since Maher has participated in the Olympics, I started to take part in championships on his behalf. I have the same weight and the same surname. So sometimes people mistook me for him. That's why I felt responsible that I have to raise Palestine's flag and make my country proud of me. And I started dreaming of qualifying to the Olympics as well."

11. 02:27 Various shots of training.

SOURCE: SNTV.

STORYLINE:

sntv talks to Maher Abu Rmeileh, the first Palestinian athlete to have qualified for an Olympic Games on merit instead of a wild-card invite, when he competed at the 2012 Olympics in London.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Born in East Jerusalem, judo champion Maher Abu Rmeileh is also a family man, with two young sons.

By day, he works in his family's shop selling scarves, by night he heads to the training centre to enhance his techniques, to try and reach higher levels in the years to come.

Abu Rmeileh is ranked 162nd in the world for his category (73-kilograms) by the International Judo Federation.

He was only five years old when his father, Shafik, a judo coach, introduced him to the combat sport.

As he grew up, he took part in several championships; the most recent was the one that allowed him to make history.

Abu Rmeileh competed in an international judo competition in Tokyo in the 73-kg (roughly 161-pound) weight-class and managed to beat several opponents including the best judoka from Hong Kong and, based largely on his scores, he had accumulated the necessary points to qualify for the London Olympic Games.

10 other Palestinian athletes have competed in the Olympics since 1996, but they failed to meet the qualification standard and attended thanks to a special IOC invitation.

Abu Rmeileh, however, is the first to have qualified on his own merit.

In London 2012, he made it to the men's -73kg elimination round of 32, where he was knocked out by Belgian Dirk van Tichelt.

With sweat dripping down his face, and with a broad grin, Abu Rmeileh joyously recalled the day he got the news that he'd qualified for London.

His participation in the Olympics was the culmination of 21 years of practising judo, initially accompanying his judoka father.

At the training centre, one of Abu Rmeileh's cousins, Wassim also aims to reach the Olympics for Palestine.

Even if Maher couldn't achieve the gold medal at London, his qualification has been noted as an outstanding achievement and is surely to inspire the young generation in a country lacking sponsorship and facilities.

World Cup trophy put on display in Ramallah.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

The FIFA World Cup arrived on Sunday (10th November) to the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The golden trophy is going on a tour around the world and is scheduled to visit 90 countries during its 267-day duration.

The cup has already been on display in the Caribbean before reaching the Middle East for the first time.

Ramallah, Palestine - 10th November 2013

1. 00:00 Wide shot of Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub and other officials uncovering the World Cup

2. 00:10 Mid shot of same

3. 00:16 Various of trophy

4. 00:25 SOUNDBITE (English) Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub:

"It is an eminence honour and joy for the Palestinian people and for the Palestinian football family to have the World Cup here in Palestine. I think it is a clear cut message to the international community by FIFA that Palestinian sport entity is existing and deserve support and protection from the Israeli occupation."

5. 00:53 Rajoub with officials taking picture near cup

Palestine midfielder Musab Al Battat talked on Wednesday about the difficulties Palestinian football players face due to restrictions on movement imposed on Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation, when he spoke ahead of their 2019 Asian Cup campaign in Doha.

"It's very difficult to bring everyone to the same place to train together in the Palestinian Territories. We only gather at training camps, outside historical Palestine. Sometimes in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, and other countries as well," said Al Battat.

"The Israeli Occupation prevents them (footballers) from joining the Palestinian national team. It is the right of any footballer to play for their national team," he added.  

Palestine are in Group B of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, along with Australia, the reigning champions, Syria and Jordan.

Doha, Qatar. 26th December 2018.

1. 00:00 Palestine training session

2. 00:11 Palestine head coach Noureddine Ould Ali

3. 00:15 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Musab Al Battat, Palestine midfielder:

(About the difficulties of training under Israeli occupation)

"The Palestinian national team is the only national team worldwide that has a real difficulty in setting up a training camp on home soil in the Palestinian Territories that includes players from the Gaza Strip, those from the West Bank and the diaspora, whether it's Chile or other countries. It's very difficult to bring everyone to the same place to train together in the Palestinian Territories. We only gather at training camps, outside historical Palestine. Sometimes in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, and other countries as well. We train as a group only in these training camps. Thankfully, we managed to gather for over 20 days this time around in preparation for the competition (2019 Asian Cup). All players are present and we hope everyone is prepared for this competition and that everyone plays to their best abilities."

4. 01:08 Palestine training session

5. 01:26 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Musab Al Battat, Palestine midfielder:

(About the difficulties of training under Israeli occupation)

"There are player that are unable to join us here, especially those who live in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Occupation prevents them from joining the Palestinian national team. It is the right of any footballer to play for their national team. For some it's almost impossible to leave the Gaza Strip. There are even players in the diaspora that have Palestinian roots but no one knows about them. This is because the Palestinian people are sadly dispersed all over, some in Gaza, some in the West Bank and other in the diaspora."

6. 02:06 Palestine training session

7. 02:13 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Musab Al Battat, Palestine midfielder:

(About Palestine's participation in 2019 Asian Cup)

"Of course, this is not the first time Palestine take part in the Asian Cup. We hope to learn from this experience. We hope to start the competition in good spirits, and be ready to win in every match. We aim to win or draw in all matches. We hope to be successful and take as many points as possible to qualify to the second round."

8. 02:50 Palestine goalkeepers training

9. 02:54 Noureddine Ould Ali

10. 02:59 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Musab Al Battat, Palestine midfielder:

(On Palestine's group - Group B)

"We are in one of the most difficult groups in the competition. Our group includes, Australia, the reigning champions, Syria and Jordan. It's a difficult group, but not an impossible one. We'll focus on every match and hope to be up to the task. We aim to qualify and please our supporters."

11. 03:42 Noureddine Ould Ali talking to his players

12. 03:45 Palestine training

13. 03:54 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Musab Al Battat, Palestine midfielder:

(About the future goal of the Palestinian national team)

"Our peoples' happiness is very important for the Palestinian national team, wherever they may be. We want to unite our people behind us."

14. 04:10 Noureddine Ould Ali

Palestine and the United Arab Emirates prepare for for their World Cup qualifier.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

The Palestine national football team are preparing to host their first ever World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, as their team takes on the United Arab Emirates in the first in a series of high-profile matches in the West Bank.

The UAE national team arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday (6th September) to play a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Palestine.

The match will take place at the Faisal Al Husseini Stadium in the West Bank town of Al Ram on Tuesday, the first competitive tie to be played by the Palestine senior national side in their homeland.

On Monday, The UAE conducted a training session at the Faisal Al Husseini Stadium, which holds 12,500 fans and has an artificial-turf pitch. The match is scheduled for the following evening with a kick-off time of 1400 GMT.

Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestine Football Association, described the match in Group A of the Asian Zone qualifiers as "historic".

The UAE opened their qualifying campaign in June with a 1-0 victory against East Timor. They are currently third in Group A, level on three points with top-placed Palestine and second-place Saudi Arabia.

Palestine, who defeated Malaysia 6-0 also in June, have played one match more.

SNTV

Ramalah Al -Ram, West Bank. 6th and 7th September 2015.

1. 00:00 Wide of the United Arab Emirates football team arriving at Faisal Al Husseini Stadium in the West Bank town of Al Ram.

2. 00:09 Various of the United Arab Emirates football team players getting out of the bus

SNTV

Ramallah, West Bank. 7th September 2015

3. 00:31 Wide of press conference of the Palestinian football team coach Nour El-Din Walad Ali .

4. 00:36 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nour El-Din Walad Ali, Palestine coach:

"First, I welcome our brothers, the Emirates team, to Palestine and I hope we will have a big celebration because the Palestinians need to celebrate. For the game, we have prepared ourselves well for it. In our group, we have five teams that will play and only two teams will qualify for the finals and I hope we will be one of the teams that reach the finals of the World Cup."

5. 01:13 Cutaway cameraman

6. 01:18 Wide of press conference with Mahdi Ali, coach of the United Arab Emirates team

7. 01:23 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahdi Ali, United Arab Emirates coach

"Sport aims to unite people and to bring freedom at a time when each nation has the right to live in peace in his homeland. We are very happy to come here and to stand with our brothers the Palestinians as the first Arabic football team to visit in an official game."

SNTV

Al-Ram, West Bank. 7th September 2015

8. 01:50 Various of the United Arab Emirates squad training at Faisal Al Husseini Stadium in the West Bank town of Al Ram

SNTV

Ramallah, West Bank. 6th September 2015

9. 02:40 Establishing shot of Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestine Football Association, entering press conference

10. 02:49 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Jibril Rajoub, Palestine Football Association chief:

"It's the first time in Palestinian history the we hosted a football match in the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Zone qualifiers on Palestinian land and under the Palestinian flag with the Palestinian national anthem. It's an historic moment."

SNTV

Al-Ram, West Bank. 7th September 2015

11. 03:22 Various of the the United Arab Emirates football team at Faisal Al Husseini Stadium in the West Bank town of Al Ram

STORYLINE:

Palestine are relishing the tag of being 'underdogs' against defending champions Australia, as they trained and talked in Dubai on Thursday on the eve of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Group B meeting.

The Palestinians head into their clash against Australia on Friday, knowing that Australia are regarded as the clear favourites.

However, Palestine had recorded their first-ever point at the AFC Asian Cup after a goalless draw against Syria last Sunday (6th January), while the 'Socceroos' had lost to Jordan 1-0 in their opening match.  

A win for Palestine at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai would virtually end the Socceroos' Asian Cup campaign.

SHOTLIST:  Rashid Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 10th January 2019.

1. 00:00 Various of Palestine team-talk

2. 00:14 Generic of Palestine warming-up with the ball

3. 00:20 Palestine head coach Noureddine Ould Ali talking to his player

4. 00:27 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Noureddine Ould Ali, Palestine head coach:

(On Palestine's approach to the game against Australia):

"I don't think that we are merely looking to be defensive in our matches. In our camp, we have an ambition to do well. We all would like to seize this opportunity and play well at the Asian Cup. We have got a point in our first game and we want to build on that and finish in a position that will take us to the knockout stage."

5. 01:07 Various of Palestine players warming-up with the ball

6. 01:24 Tamer Sayam warming-up with the team

7. 01:36 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Tamer Sayam Palestine midfielder:

(On Australia being the superior team on paper):

"We know that Australia have a lot of good qualities and they have technical abilities to punish any team. For us, we can count on our team spirit and believe in ourselves. We can also count on the good support at the stadium from our fans. These are the two qualities that will be vital for us. We may be the underdogs but we are ready to get a result against Australia."

8. 02:30 Various of Palestine players warming-up

SOURCE: SNTV.

DURATION: 02:42.

Reaction from Al-Sharjah Stadium after ten-man Palestine salvaged a goalless draw against Syria in Group B of the AFC Asian Cup on Sunday.

Syria dominated proceedings but just couldn't put the ball into the back of the net.

Palestine were down to ten men in the 69th minute when Muhammed Saleh received a second yellow card.

Syria didn't capitalise on the advantage as it ended 0-0, an important point earned for the Palestinians.

Al-Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah, UAE - 6th January 2019.

1. 00:00 Palestine captain Abdalltif Al Bahdari enters press room

2. 00:09 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Noureddine Ould Ali, Palestine head coach:

"We have built something from this match. We wanted to do some changes during the match today, but things happened and forced us not to do so when we were given three yellow cards and a red card, so our plan changed, and we could not make any substitutions."

3. 00:55 SOUNDBITE (English): Bernd Stange, Syria head coach:

"You have always the same problem if you face teams who are defending with ten players, or at least nine, they are staying very very compact. How can you run with big speed in this group of players? The only result you will achieve are counter-attacks, and maybe an easy goal for the opponents. It's very very difficult to play this kind of teams and I think we tried everything to come over the wings, to open, to come behind the defenders."

4. 01:26 Palestine defender Muhammed Saleh in mixed zone

5. 01:30 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Muhammed Saleh, Palestine defender:

(About the red card he was shown)

"Our ambition was to win and have the three points so we could please our people. I am sorry for the sending off, it was the wrong decision, 100 per cent the decision was not right, and the referee took a fast decision, he could have made a better decision, and the video is there to see."

6. 02:00 Palestine defender Musab Battat talking with reporters in mixed zone

3. 02:03 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Musab Battat, Palestine Defender:

"Every match has its own situations, and for the next match we will see the instructions of the coaching staff and perform their plan."

7. 02:19 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Tamer Seyam, Palestine midfielder:

"I was expecting our team to win, because we played a good game, but the sending of affected us. We could have done better, but we are happy, we played well with ten men, and I think the result was good."

8. 02:49 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Tamer Seyam, Palestine midfielder:

"I think today's football have a lot of surprises, and we saw in the World Cup that teams left early. Palestine cane be a surprise in this Asian Cup. We have to finish the group stage and the next match will be against Australia and we will do all we can to qualify."

9. 03:09 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Abdalltif Al Bahdari, Palestine captain:

"All the players today were real men. We managed to close the spaces in the midfield as I told you yesterday. We managed to get one point, and today we played in the second-half for 30 minutes with ten men and we managed to cover the absence, and I hope we can correct our mistakes in the second match against Australia."

10. 03:44 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Abdalltif Al Bahdari, Palestine captain:

"For sure Australia are one of the best teams, and the defending champions, so I hope we can perform at our best."

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03:56

A leading FIFA representative tried on Friday (2nd October) to defuse a row between Israel and Palestine.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

A Palestine proposal to throw Israel out of FIFA for obstructing the free movement of players and equipment was dropped at the FIFA Congress in May.

Instead, they settled for the establishment of a monitoring group led by South African businessman and human rights activist Tokyo Sexwale.

But a recent move to switch Palestine's forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia from home soil to neutral ground has caused anger in the region.

Palestine's FA has protested both to FIFA President Sepp Blatter and to Asian Football Association chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

Sheikh Salman was one of the three pivotal figures, along with Michel Platini and Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who made the decision in favour of the Saudis.

Blatter has made it a priority to try and build lasting trust between Palestinian and Israeli officials.

To that end, Sexwale proposed a symbolic game between Israel and Palestine.

Tel Aviv, Israel. 2nd October, 2015.

1. 00:00 Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel and Palestine, Tokyo Sexwale, walking in corridor.

2. 00:13 Sexwale walking into press room.

3. 00:21 Cameraman.

4. 00:24 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel & Palestine

(Is he still considering running for FIFA president?) "I have issued a statement when the rumours started following the meeting with the FIFA draw in St. Petersburg. But I will apply my mind. There is a still a deadline I think it ends on the 26th of this month? Yes. But we still have some days and I am sure that in the right time I will make a pronouncement."

5. 00:53 Cameraman.

6. 00:57 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel and Palestine:

(How does he think FIFA was damaged by the criminal investigation opened into Sepp Blatter?) "I think for the purpose of this meeting I would like refrain from talking about the problems of FIFA. They are there, you know them and there will be relevant people to deal with that. But one hopes that at the end of the day for the sake of football again as it is played by small children in the dusty bowls of Chad or outside of the earthquake of Nepal, as it is played by Messi and Ronaldo, I hope that in the interest of the beautiful game FIFA will find a resolution to it's problems. I have opinions, very strong ones, but I don't think this press conference is for that."

7. 01:44 Cameraman.

8. 01:49 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel and Palestine:

"This is our meeting number one. We are all engaged and I find that all parties are interested in finding solutions that will make the play an enjoyment of football to be fulfilled. The question we are still going to be discussing is the one of the territories, and we are mindful that that question if resolution, belongs to political authorities, both here in Israel and elsewhere because this question has been internationalised. But I want to make it very clear, it is not a FIFA issue it is not our problem sitting inside this meeting, but it is a problem that is confronting football, and we have to come to a resolution of that problem, advising the relevant political authorities both here in Israel and elsewhere, to assist us in resolution of that problem."

9. 02:55 Cameraman.

10. 02:57 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel and Palestine:

"I proposed the meeting between the national team of Israel and the national team of Palestine to take place in South Africa. It is my proposal - not at today's meeting, but I proposed it at our meeting in Zurich, what we call the kick off meeting that was chaired by Mr. Blatter. So I hope that when all is said and done, there will be that kind of game because we had used football quite a lot in other situations to bring friendship and peace among people."

11. 03:34 Sexwale, Ofer Eini, head of the Israeli Football Association and Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association.

Palestine prepare on the eve of their 2019 Asian Cup Group D qualifier against Bhutan in Dura, Palestine on Monday (9th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Palestine will go a long way to clinching their place in the 2019 Asian Cup if they beat Bhutan on Monday in Group D.

At the halfway point of qualifying, Palestine have won all three games - including an impressive 2-1 victory over Oman.

Both teams play on Monday.

If second-placed Oman beat the Maldives, which is likely after their 5-0 win over the same country last month, and Palestine also get three points, the Palestinians will have a nine-point lead over third-placed Maldives with three games to go.

The top two teams from each group go through to the 2019 Asian Cup finals in the United Arab Emirates.

Bhutan are bottom of the group with zero points - they conceded 14 goals to Oman.

The Palestinians have been slowly rising up the FIFA world rankings since 2015 and that victory over Oman in September saw them jump from 116 to 94, overtaking the Omanis in the process.

Palestine made their first appearance in the Asian Cup finals in 2015 - but finished bottom of their group with zero points.

Al Bireh International Stadium, Dura, Palestine. 8th October 2017.

1. 00:00 Various Palestine training.

2. 00:50 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abdelnasir Barakat, Palestine coach:

"Playing in our own country and in front of our own fans is an important factor. We hope there will be a large number of fans as there were in Bhutan, the Bhutanese were loud. Therefore, we hope the Palestinian fans will come en masse. I mean the first time we qualified for the Asian Cup we qualified through the Challenge Cup, but this time, could be the first time through direct qualification. The goal before we started was to get the 10 points in group one, and thankfully we got these points, which are essential for us to improve our International and Olympic points."

3. 01:22 Various Palestine training.

SOURCE: SNTV.

DURATION: 01:47.

Saudi Arabia head coach, Herve Renard, said on Monday that his side's Group D 2022 World Cup Asian qualifier against Palestine, in Palestine, on Tuesday is "a historic game."

"It's a pleasure for us to be in Palestine for this game. Football needs to be like that," added Renard, who led Morocco to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In the past, national teams from the Arab world have refused to play in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as it involved requesting permits from the Israeli government, a country they do not officially recognise.

This move has been widely seen as a sign that Saudi Arabia have begun normalising relations with the Israeli state.  

But for Palestinian players this means they can finally play on home soil against teams from the Arab world.

"It's great for our fans to see their national team play at home. This is how it should be for us Palestinians," said Palestine defender Abdelatif Bahdari.

Al-Ram, West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territory. 14th October 2019.

1. 00:00 Saudi Arabia head coach Herve Renard arrives for presser

2. 00:07 Presser

3. 00:17 SOUNDBITE (English): Herve Renard, Saudi Arabia head coach:

"It's a pleasure for us to be in Palestine for this game. Football needs to be like that and it's of course a historic game so it will be a very tough game. First of all because Palestine beat Uzbekistan in this group (Group D) already. So the level of this team is very good. We know tomoroe it won't be easy. It will be a tough game but we'll be ready for this important game."

4. 01:03 Journalists

5. 01:08 Presser

6. 01:13 Renard leaves presser

7. 01:19 Palestine presser with head coach Noureddine Ould Ali and defender Abdelatif Bahdari

8. 01:24 SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Abdelatif Bahdari, Palestine defender:

"We as players are happy to play on home soil in front of our fans. It's great for our fans to see their national team play at home. This is how it should be for us Palestinians. This is a Saudi team that has played in the World Cup previously, and their presence here is testament to our right to play in our home ground."

9. 01:49 Presser

10. 01:54 Exterior shots of Millennium Palestine Ramallah, where the presser was held

Reaction after Palestine thrashed Bhutan 10-0 in their Group D 2019 AFC Cup qualifier at the Dora International Stadium in Hebron, Palestine, on Tuesday (10th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Palestine qualified for the AFC Asian Cup after demolishing Bhutan 10-0 at the Dora International Stadium in Hebron on Tuesday.

The host team were in total control of the match after scoring six goals in the first half.

Palestine and Oman had assured a top-two finish in Group D with two games to spare.

In the other game of Group D, Oman defeated Maldives 3-1.

The 2019 AFC Asian Cup starts on 5th of January.

Dora International Stadium, Hebron, Palestine - 10th October 2017

1. 00:00 Fireworks

2. 00:06 Various of fans celebrating the victory

3. 00:15 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abdel Nasser Barakat, Palestine coach:

"The team played very well. They wanted to achieve a great result to bring happiness to Palestinians. The game was played at home in front of our fans. We also wanted to restore our confidence, and show a good performance to reflect our progress in the past two and a half years. At the end, we would like to thank all Palestinian people and media for the their support."

4. 00:38 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abdelatif Bahdari, Palestine defender:

"The team played with responsibility today. We scored ten goals! I would like to thank the Palestinian fans for supporting us. Our victory is dedicated to the Palestinian people, and we hope we will achieve more success in the Asian Nations Cup at the UAE (United Arab Emirates)."

5. 00:53 Various of fans celebrating outside the stadium

6. 01:06 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mohammad Darwish, Palestine striker:

"We won 10-0. The team played very well. Our team is always progressing. We have been training very hard."

7. 01:18 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mohammad Abu Khamis, Palestine:

"We played the Bhutan with respect even, though their recent scores were very bad. We played well and we had a big victory. We qualified for the Asian Cup of Nations 2019. This was the dream for every Palestinian".

8. 01:36 Various of fans celebrating

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 01:55

STORYLINE:

Palestine trained in Abu Dhabi on Monday, preparing for their AFC Asian Cup Group B meeting with already qualified Jordan.

They may currently sit bottom of the group standings, but a win over Jordan would see the 'Lions of Canaan' progress to the knockout stage for the first time in what is their second appearance in the Asian Cup finals.

Noureddine Ould Ali's side have one point from their two group matches - the same as Syria, with whom they shared a goalless draw in the two nations' opening fixture.

Australia - 3-0 winners over Palestine in the second round of group fixtures - are second on three points, with Jordan top on six following back-to-back victories.

Even a draw may be enough to see Palestine through to the round of 16, with the four best third place finishers from the six groups also advancing.

SHOTLIST: Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE. 14th January 2019.

1. 00:00 Various of Palestine players warming up

2. 00:14 Various of goalkeepers in training

3. 00:33 Training

4. 00:38 Midfielder Oday Dabbagh

5. 00:48 Players dribbling

6. 00:56 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Oday Dabbagh, Palestine midfielder (rough translation):

"We have done our utmost preparation for the next match, because tomorrow's match will be a very crucial match for our team. We have prepared well. As you said, there is a special flavour in this match between two friendly countries - Palestine and Jordan - but I hope it will be a good match and that we will manage the win and the qualification, God willing, as one of the best third place teams, or even second best."

7. 01:26 Palestine head coach Noureddine Ould Ali

8. 01:32 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Noureddine Ould Ali, Palestine head coach:

"For us, we will play against Jordan as if we are playing in the final of the tournament, for the coach but mostly for the players. I spoke to my players after the match against Australia. All the players spoke and expressed their readiness to make the necessary sacrifice to qualify, which would be historical."

9. 02:08 Various of players warming up

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 02:27

Palestine speak ahead of their World Cup qualifier in Jordan against Saudi Arabia on Sunday (8th November).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Saudi Arabia manager Bert van Marwijk spoke to the press in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Sunday for Monday's (9th November) World Cup qualifying match against Palestine.

The teams played in Jeddah in June in the first of their two scheduled Asia zone World Cup qualifiers, with the Saudis winning 3-2.

The match in Amman was originally supposed to be played in Palestine, but Saudi Arabia had refused to travel to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Saudi Arabia top group A with 12 points after four matches, while Palestine are third with five points.

Amman, Jordan 8th November 2015

1. 00.00 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdel Naser Barakat, Palestine's National team Manager:

"Everybody knows the difficulties we are facing. We try however in difficult situations to do our best to bring happiness to the Palestinian people. We are aware that the match will be very difficult but we will depend on the Palestinian will to face those difficulties."

2. 00.25 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdel Naser Barakat, Palestine's National team Manager:

"We will miss Mathias (Jaduehawa) because he received two yellow cards. Mohammed Eid and Mosaab Al Battat will also be absent through injury. We have enough players in the team to replace them."

3. 00.47 SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abdel Al-latef Al-Bahdawi, Palestine's National team captain:

"Tomorrow's match is crucial match for us. Winning the match will put us in a good position to compete with Saudi Arabia and UAE for the lead. We will do our best to win the match tomorrow. Our morale is very high. We are not suffering of any injuries to mention. I say again tomorrow's match is crucial. It will give us the chance of competing with Saudi Arabia and UAE."

4. 01.12 Barakat and Al-Bahdawi walk out of presser

Reaction from the Palestine and UAE players on Tuesday (8th September) following the goalless draw between the two sides in their World Cup qualifier.

Al Ram, Palestine - 8th September 2015

1. 00:00 SOUNDBITE (Arabic), Tawfiq Ali, Palestine, goalkeeper:

"Emirate's is a very strong team that boasts many top players. The match was difficult. We played defensively."

2. 00:20 SOUNBITE (Arabic) Tamer Salah, Palestine defender:

"This is the first match on Palestine soil. This is a great achievement. We are happy with the support of our fans. The result is acceptable because the Emirate team is very strong."

3. 00:37 SOUNBITE (Arabic) Imad Zatara , Palestine attacker:

"This is not the old Palestinian team that was just happy with taking part in tournaments. We thankfully managed to gain a point from Emirate which is a very strong team. Our form is improving every year."

4. 00:57 SOUNBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Abdulrahman, Emirate attacker:

"Excellent first test. Everything was good from atmosphere, hosts, ground and fans."

5. 01:09 SOUNBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Ahmed, Emirate defender:

"The match was good. We had a warm reception. We were a bit worried before, but we hope now to play all our matches in Palestine. The result is acceptable to both teams."

6. 01:33 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Habib Fardan Abdulla, Emirate midfielder:

"We are happy to be in Palestine and thank the Palestinian people for their worm reception and good support. We wish them the best of luck."

Judoka Maher Abu Rmeileh reflected on Sunday (July 29) on being the first Palestinian to qualify on merit for the Olympic Games in London, England.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Palestine are represented by five athletes in three disciplines at the London Olympics: swimming, athletics and judo.

Judoka Maher Abu Rmeileh was the last of the five Palestinian athletes to be notified of his participation at the Olympics.

The difference between Abu Rmeileh and the other four Palestinian representatives, is he qualified for the Olympics after defeating several judo champions throughout the past four years.

Abu Rmeileh's victories gained him 20 points which raised the total of Palestinian points total to 24 and so he qualified to take part in 73-kilogramme category.

The 28-year-old, who lives and trains in Jerusalem, Israel, started judo when he was seven.

His father was also a judoka.

Palestine first participated in the Olympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta in the United States.

Runner Majed Abu Maraheel, who is currently training the 2012 runners, was the first athlete to carry the Palestinian flag at an Olympic event.

Since then, Palestine's symbolic participation in the Olympics has continued.

But Abu Rmeileh is the only Palestinian to qualify for the Olympics on merit.

The International Olympic Committee have rules exempting developing nations from having reached the qualifying standard - that is how the other four Palestinian athletes qualified.

London, England, UK. 29 July 2012.

1. 00:00 Wide exterior of the Olympic Village

2. 00:03 Olympic Village

3. 00:06 Judoka Maher Abu Rmeileh walking

4. 00:13 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Maher Abu Rmeileh, Palestine:

"I am thrilled and delighted I made it to the Olympics and this is a dream and I thank God that I realised it."

5. 00:25 Cutaway of hands

6. 00:28 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Maher Abu Rmeileh, Palestine:

"Judo standards in the Olympics are very strong and it will not be easy. Those athletes who qualify for the Olympics are the best of the best in the world. I am proud to be amongst these champions."

7. 00:46 Cutaway of eyes

8. 00:53 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Maher Abu Rmeileh, Palestine:

"It's a privilege and an honour for our judo federation to have qualified. This will encourage us to work hard for the next Olympics to qualify more athletes and in other sports to represent Palestine."

9. 01:07 Cutaway

10. 01:10 SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Maher Abu Rmeileh, Palestine:

"I hope to win some fights and to qualify and go further in these Olympics"

11. 01:20 Patch on jacket