[Whitfield:] A little more Olympics talk at the opening ceremonies in Beijing. Women were noticeably absent from Saudi Arabia's Olympic team. Saudi women are not allowed to compete in international completion. Back in Saudi Arabia, the hoop dreams of a women's basketball team does still live. CNN's Wilf Demmick reports.
[Wilf Demmick, Cnn News Correspondent:] Four days a week in the port city of Jeddah, practice begins like this, in a country where women cannot even play sports in public, where finding a place to workout is tough, as it is getting here. Women are even banned from driving. But there is one place where they can do what they love. Lena Almayena is the captain
[Lena Almayena, Saudi Women's Basketball Team:] In the images we see in the media, and western media specifically, is a head-to-toe women covered with no identity. I'm really glad that we have the chance to come out and speak in public on TV about the fact that there is another segment of society that's different, that is just basically normal.
[Demmick:] The players all pitch in to rent this court, hidden from public view, a chance to play without politics. It all started when Almayena returned from college in the U.S. She met her husband there, where they played pickup ball together. but back in Saudi, she was bluffed. She got some women together, a coach and called her team Jeddah united. She gets calls every day from women, wanting t join, but here, it's almost impossible to find more courts where women can play. Saudi Arabia is one the few countries that does not allow women to compete in international sporting events. And girls are even banned from sports in the kingdom's public pool. [on camera]: As if these women didn't have enough obstacles. He can't find a proper place to play here in Saudi Arabia. It's summertime here, terribly hot and they're forced to practice outdoors. [voice-over]: Temperatures often hit 40-degree Celsius, more than 100 Fahrenheit. Right now they are limited to playing women's team that excludes Saudi private schools. Seven women, who count their team as having many victories far beyond the court. Wilf Demmick, CNN, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
[Whitfield:] All right, how can you not be inspired by that? Thanks for being with us the last couple hours in the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. I'll see you back here next weekend. Rick Sanchez is up next with more of the day's headlines. There he is, thumbs up, ready to go.