Ever since the world found out that French hijabi athletes are not allowed to compete in the Olympics, a snowstorm of backlash hit the Olympic committee. Everyone from hijabi athletes like Australia’s Tina Rahimi to international organizations like Amnesty International attacked the ban.
Even though the ban is in place, many hijabis from other countries showed up and dominated the Olympics. Let us meet each one:
Doaa Elghobashy
Way back during the 2016 Olympics, Doha Elghobashy made her debut at just 19 years of age. It wasn’t any kind of debut. Back then, not only was she one-half of Egypt’s first female beach volleyball team to compete at the Games, but she was the first hijabi volleyball player to compete.
Fast forward 8 years later, she returned to the Games, ready to take on Spain on August 1st alongside her teammate Marwa Abdelhady.
Rihab Elwalid
Wielding the bow and arrow and focusing deeply and sharply on the target, Tunisian archer Rihab Elwalid has been appearing in many global sporting competitions. From the 2019 African Games to the 2020 Summer Olympics, she has been very present in the world of archery.
This year, she is competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and already went head to head with Chinese archer Yang Xiaolei on July 30.
Safiya al-Sayegh
Making the Emirates proud, Safiya al-Sayegh is the first female cyclist from the UAE to compete in the Olympics at just 22 years of age. Cycling was always in her blood, as she started the sport by taking bike rides with her dad around their neighborhood 8 years ago.
Today, she is chasing her Olympic dream and vying for gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I am trying to pave a way that no other woman ever did in my country, which is a privilege and a big responsibility, too. I’d like to set the standard high and do my best for whoever wants to follow,” she said in an interview.
Dunya Aboutaleb
Representing what it means to fight for your passion and dream, Saudi taekwondo champion Dunya Abutaleb has always strived to achieve her goals. At just 8 years old, she started out in taekwondo and ended up practicing the sport in an all-boys club as there were no girls to compete with back then.
Today, she is the first Saudi Arabian woman to compete in taekwondo at the Olympics. Get ready to watch her on August 7 as she hits the mat in the 49kg competition.
Khadija el-Mardi
Considered one of the most exciting fighters in the realm of boxing, Moroccan Khadija el-Mardi has been slaying the sport for some time now. Back in 2023, she became the first African and the first Arab to win gold in an international amateur boxing tournament.
Now, she is competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics with big dreams of winning gold and making her parents proud.
Marwa Bouzayani
Competing for the second time at the Olympics, Tunisian 3,000m steeplechaser Marwa Bouzayani is bringing the heat to the Games. At the 2020 Tokyo Games, she came in sixth place and that is why this year, she has plans to improve on her performance.
With all these hijabi athletes taking part in the Olympics, it acts as a force of resistance against France’s hijab ban and gives hope for a better future.