Baghdad’s new skate park offers hope for change among young Iraqis

Skateboarders practice on the newly-opened skatepark in Baghdad, Iraq. Picture: Ammar Khalil/AP

Baghdad has opened its first skate park in what many hope will be the beginning of a drive to build more spaces for recreation and creative expression.

Car bombs and militant attacks are no longer a daily concern in the streets of the Iraqi capital, but many young Iraqis say their opportunities remain limited.