Palestine’s Pride: Who Are the Eight Athletes Ready to Shine at the Paris Olympics and What Is Their Story?
Representing Palestine at the Paris Olympics is a group of eight athletes who, even though they were born outside Palestine in countries like Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Germany, have strong roots in their original homeland.
Their taking part in the upcoming Olympics goes beyond the sport and extends to bringing Gaza its story, its 9-month ongoing genocide, and every struggle it faced since the occupation into the limelight.
Valerie Tarazi
Dreams can come true and no one exemplifies that statement more than 24-year-old American-Palestinian swimmer Valerie Tarazi. She started swimming when she was only 3 years old, and ever since she watched the Beijing Games back in 2008, she had envisioned herself taking part in the global sporting event.
After over 20 years of honing her craft, she officially passed the Olympic trial for the Paris Games. She truly earned the Olympic spot with many medals under her belt. During the Sport Games Algeria 2023, she won medals across various events, including gold in the 100m backstroke and 50m breaststroke.
Now, beyond the sport at the Olympics, she also plans to put her nation in the limelight. Her mission is to “speak up for the people who can’t” and raise hopes in Gaza.
Yazan al Bawwab
24-year-old Palestinian swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab is just like Tarazi, as he is competing in the Olympics to represent Palestinians suffering from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza on the global stage. Born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian refugees, taking part in the Olympics wasn’t his dream alone but also that of his father.
“My father’s dream was to learn how to swim and become a swimmer,” Al Bawwab told Reuters. The thing is, his father never got to accomplish that dream for himself, as he ended up leaving Palestine when he was 18.
Now, Al Bawwab is in Dubai where he trains by himself as well as with retired Palestinian Olympic swimmer Ahmed Gebrel. He is also running a furniture factory.
This isn’t the first time he has qualified for the Games. “I ended up qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games for men’s 100 m freestyle, and I was one of five athletes to represent Palestine at the games,” Al Bawab told SPAD Players Tribune. We cannot wait to see how he fares during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Omar Ismail
Beyond champion swimmers, Taekwondo champion Omar Ismail will compete in the upcoming Olympics. He earned his Olympic spot directly at the Asian qualifying tournament in Tai’an, China. This is considered the first time that a Palestinian athlete qualifies in a combat sport without needing a “wild card” playoff process.
The athlete was born in Dubai to parents who come from the town of Jenin in the West Bank, and he hopes that his participation at the Olympics will help bring a semblance of hope to Palestinians and their dreams:
“I represent the Palestinians. I hope that when young people see me, they tell themselves that they can achieve their dreams, that they can work on themselves, that they can be like me or even better than me,” said Ismail, currently ranked 61st in the world in the under-58kg category.
Waseem Abu Sal
In the world of boxing, Palestine will be represented by 20-year-old Waseem Abu Sal, the first Palestinian boxer to compete in the Olympics. Abu Sal will compete in the lightweight category (under 63kg) and will hit the boxing rink at the Olympics on July 28.
He strived to take part, as over the last year, Abu Sal has spent every waking moment preparing for the Olympics, from participating in training camps in Morocco and Jordan in 2023 to competing in tournaments in Algeria and Russia.
Just as with all the other athletes, Abu Sal is all about representing Palestine in the games. “I’m going to the Olympics not just for myself but for all of Palestine,” said the 20-year-old.
Fares Badawi
Known as the 27-year-old Palestinian judo champion who has already taken part in world championships and major tournaments such as the Paris Grand Slam, Fares Badawi also received the highest honor of taking part in the upcoming Paris Olympics.
He was even part of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo. Now, he will represent Palestine in the U81kg Judo competition at the Olympics.
Jorge Antonio Salhe
Taking part in the skeet shooting competition in the upcoming Paris Olympics is 49-year-old Jorge Antonio Salhe. Bringing a unique addition to the games, the athlete is of a mixed heritage. He is both Chilean and Palestinian as he was born to a Palestinian father.
He is now heading to the Paris Olympics, a spot that he earned by nabbing a wild card from the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).
Layla al-Masri
An athlete all about making her nation proud is Palestinian 800-metre specialist Layla al-Masri. She not only gets to be the first woman to represent Palestine at the World Cross Country Championships, but she also gets to represent her nation on the bigger and more global stage, the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Mohammed Dwedar
Palestinian middle-distance runner Mohammed Dwedar is also an 800-metre specialist, just like al-Masri. He will be hitting the track during the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Beyond that, he is known to compete in many other competitions, as he just competed in last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where he finished ninth in his heat.
All these athletes represent a semblance of hope for the Palestinian nation as each one will bring its story and struggle to life as well as showcase the persistence infused in each athlete taking part in the Games.
