Paris Olympics: Waseem Abu Sal creates history as 1st boxer to represent Palestine

After obtaining a highly sought-after wildcard entry to compete in the Paris Games, Waseem Abu Sal is poised to create history as the first boxer to represent Palestine at the Olympics. Sharing the news, @thenationalimpact uploaded an Instagram post that has garnered 36,588 likes and numerous comments.

Sal, who comes from the occupied West Bank, is coached by Ahmad Harara of Cairo. Harara is from Gaza and is unable to come to the West Bank. He sends Waseem training instructions by text messaging.

Waseem competed in the 57 kg category and went through a series of hard qualifying bouts to gain a wildcard spot and attain this extraordinary milestone, Indian Express reported.

“Every day I went to sleep and woke up thinking about how I could reach the Olympics,” he said to Japan Times.

Waseem talked passionately about his dream that he had since he was ten years old. Thinking back on his journey, he said that he only gets to see his coach while travelling abroad for tournaments because the connection between the West Bank and Gaza is restricted. He diligently adheres to the daily training regimen designed by his coach, which entails demanding morning and evening sessions overseen by coach Nader Jayousi.

Before Abu Sal's historic journey begins, the political realities of the West Bank with Israeli army checkpoints barring movement offers obstacles. He said it is difficult for athletes from the West Bank to visit them. Abu Sal emphasised that this circumstance makes it difficult to organise local tournaments, which reduces the amount of opportunities for competition in the nation.

He told the Japan Times that he faces several difficulties when he travels overseas for competitions or training. He explained how many nations refuse visas to Palestinian passport holders, frequently resulting in their exclusion from competitions.

The war in Gaza has been one of the hardest obstacles to his Olympic training. Abu Sal's determination to compete for the gold medal has hardened into a single concentration as the Olympics get closer. This focus is "train, eat, and sleep.”

“It was like life had come back to me,” he said to Japan Times.

Reacting to this news, social media users flooded the comment section with praise and congratulatory messages. One user wrote, “for the win!! 👏 palestinan people will rise and this is a perfect example!!”

Another user commented, “Viva palestinaaaaa 🍉🙏🏾 God bless Palestinians and all those suffering and those witnessing their loved ones suffering. May God continue to bless us with strength and peace in these tough trials in our lives.”

A third Instagram user expressed, “Their determination will make a name for them all over the world.” Meanwhile, a fourth user wrote, “God speed darling ❤️🇵🇸 their resistance knows no bounds.”