PARIS (AP) — Most of the athletes representing the Palestinian territories at the Paris Olympics were born elsewhere — in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Germany, Chile and the United States — yet they care deeply about the politics of their parents’ and grandparents’ home countries.
They are eager to compete, but they say their presence at the Games is not solely, or even primarily, about sport. As Israel and Hamas wage a brutal war that has left tens of thousands dead in Gaza, these eight athletes, two of them from the West Bank, carry heavier burdens.
Yazan Al Bawwab, a 24-year-old swimmer born in Saudi Arabia and living in Dubai, said he did not expect recognition for his performances in the pool. He said he uses swimming as a “tool for Palestine.”
“Unfortunately, no one has ever asked me about my ethnic origins. No one cares,” said al-Bawwab, whose parents are from Jerusalem and Lod, a city in what is now central Israel. “I will be clear and honest: France does not recognize Palestine as a country. But I am there, and I am waving my flag. That is my role.”
Omar Ismail, born in Dubai to parents from the West Bank city of Jenin, has bigger sporting ambitions. Shortly after earning a spot on the team for a taekwondo qualifying tournament in China, the 18-year-old said he hoped to win a gold medal in Paris.
But even if he doesn’t win a medal, Ismail – who visited his family in Jenin – believes his mere participation symbolises something bigger than himself.
“I represent the identity of the Palestinian people, their determination,” Ismail said. “I would like to inspire the children of Palestine, show them that each of them can achieve their goals, give them hope.”
Even in the best of circumstances, it is difficult to maintain a dynamic training schedule for the Olympics in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Nine months of war between Israel and Hamas have made that challenge nearly impossible.
Much of the country’s sports infrastructure, clubs and institutions have been demolished, said Nader Jayousi, technical director of the Palestinian Olympic Committee.
“Do you know how many licensed swimming pools there are in Palestine? None,” said al-Bawaab, who stressed that the Palestinian economy was too small and fragile to consistently support the development of elite athletes. “There is no sport in Palestine. We are a country that is currently lacking food and housing, and we are trying to figure out how to survive. We are not a sporting country yet.”
The Palestinian diaspora has always played an important role in the Olympics and other international competitions, Jayousi said.
Jayousi said that this was not the first time that most of the athletes representing the POC came from abroad. He added that the Palestinian diaspora was always represented at any major international sports competition and the Olympics.
More than 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to local health authorities. The victims include about 300 athletes, referees, coaches and others working in Gaza’s sports sector, according to Jayousi.
Perhaps the greatest Palestinian athlete to die in the war was long-distance runner Majed Abu Maraheel, who in 1996 in Atlanta became the first Palestinian to compete in the Olympics. He died of kidney failure earlier this year because he could not receive treatment in Gaza and could not be evacuated to Egypt, Palestinian officials said.
Only one Palestinian athlete, Ismail, qualified for the Paris Games on an individual basis. The other seven secured their spots through a wild-card system issued under the universal quota. Backed by the International Olympic Committee, the system allows athletes representing poorer countries with less established sports programs to compete, even if they do not meet the sporting criteria.
“We had high hopes of going to Paris 2024 with qualified athletes,” said Jayousi, the team’s technical director. “We lost many of those chances because of the complete shutdown of all activities in the country.”
Palestinian athletes will compete in boxing, judo, swimming, shooting, athletics and taekwondo.
There is a possibility that Palestinian athletes could compete against Israelis in Paris. The Israeli Olympic Committee has announced that it will send 88 athletes to Paris and that they will compete against athletes from around the world.
Jayousi declined to say whether clear instructions had been given to Palestinian athletes as to whether they should, as a protest against the Gaza war, withdraw from competition rather than face the Israelis.
“We’ll see what the draw has in store for our athletes,” he said. “We know what we want to do, but we don’t have to say everything we want to do.”
Gaza-born weightlifter Mohammed Hamada, the flag bearer for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, was not selected. When the war broke out, Hamada moved to Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, and trained there for 25 days. But due to food shortages, Hamada, who was competing in the 102-kilogram (225-pound) weight class, gradually lost about 18 kilograms (40 pounds).
Hamada eventually got a visa to leave Gaza and traveled to Qatar to continue his training. But, Jayousi said, he simply couldn’t get back to an Olympic-level body.
Jayousi said winning medals was not the top priority for the athletes who competed in Paris. (No Palestinian athlete has ever won an Olympic medal.)
“We came here to show our Palestinianism,” he said. “We are determined to fight until the last second, which is what we have been doing as a nation for 80 years.”
Al Bawaab said he wants to empower the next generation of Palestinian athletes, including by providing them with better financial resources. He founded the Palestinian Olympians Association to help athletes prepare for sports and life after sports, including by providing them with mental health support.
“We don’t have that sports culture yet,” al Bawaab said. “When I finish swimming, I hope we can bring that to the country. But first we have to be safe.”
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
