Six athletes, including the first woman ever selected, are set to shine for Palestine at the Paris Olympics, confirmed a top official from the Palestinian Olympic Committee to The Associated Press on Monday.
They’ll compete across boxing, judo, swimming, shooting, and taekwondo, with a chance of adding a seventh in track and field. Despite challenges from the Israel-Hamas conflict, these athletes are poised to surpass Palestine’s Tokyo Games representation, demonstrating resilience amid adversity.
The International Olympic Committee declined to comment on the selection, with the Paris roster deadline looming. Only taekwondo fighter Omar Ismail has secured direct qualification, while others will participate through wild card entries, supported by the IOC’s universality quota, enabling athletes from developing nations to compete.
This lineup includes Jorge Antonio Salhe in shooting, Yazan al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi in swimming, Fares Badawi in judo, and Wasim Abusal in boxing, with Al Bawwab bringing experience from Tokyo.
Tragically, the conflict has claimed the lives of about 300 sports figures, including Atlanta ’96 Olympian Majed Abu Maraheel, underscoring the resilience of Palestine’s sports community despite shattered infrastructure and forced training relocations.
