And the air conditioner that could provide some relief remains off-limits in a country grappling with chronic power cuts, especially in summer when temperatures approach 50 C. The community center is powered by a generator, but it can barely sustain the essentials.

These practical issues "affect our training" and hinder the players' progress, Sarmad said.

The team also faces obstacles in the form of insufficient government funding for sports, and conservative views on women's rights and people with disabilities.

Paralympic champion Najlah Imad, the first Iraqi to snare a gold medal in table tennis, told reporters that "despite the difficult circumstances, nothing is impossible".

Imad, who now relies on sponsorship deals, encouraged her fellow players to keep fighting.

"You can do anything," she said.