10 Arab moments to remember from the Paris 2024 Olympics

Gold medalist Algeria’s Imane Khelif kisses her medal for the women’s 66kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. (AP)
Gold medalist Algeria’s Imane Khelif kisses her medal for the women’s 66kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. (AP)
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Updated 12 August 2024
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10 Arab moments to remember from the Paris 2024 Olympics

10 Arab moments to remember from the Paris 2024 Olympics
  • The Arab contingent in Paris provided many memorable moments and not only from those who ended up on the podium

DUBAI: Athletes representing Arab countries claimed an unprecedented seven gold medals during the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which came to an end on Sunday with a spectacular closing ceremony at Stade de France.

The Arab contingent in Paris provided many memorable moments and not only from those who ended up on the podium; some of the near misses were just as inspiring.

We got to see Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam take part in the heat of his life during the third round of the competition, against Brazil’s Joao Chianca, scoring a huge 9.70 on one of his waves yet still make a tearful exit from the competition.

There was also heartbreak for Jordan’s Rama Abo-Alrub, who came ever so close to defeating top-seeded Nafia Kus Aydin in the quarter-finals of the taekwondo +67kg. The 23-year-old’s tears were incredibly moving and showed the depth of her belief that she could have posted an upset.

In the pool, Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi just missed out on the podium in the 800 meters, placing fourth among a stacked field. The 19-year-old impressed in all three distances he swam and will no doubt be one to watch in the future.

Before we officially bid farewell to the Paris Olympics, here are 10 particularly special moments that featured Arab athletes during the 2024 Games.

Elgendy’s record-breaking gold

What could possibly be better than becoming the first African to win an Olympic medal in your sport? Returning to the Olympics three years later and winning gold with a record-breaking performance, of course.

After clinching silver in the modern pentathlon in Tokyo, Egypt’s Ahmed Elgendy went one better as he topped the podium at Versailles on Saturday, setting a new modern pentathlon world record of 1,555 points in the process.

The 24-year-old ran to hug his mother on the sidelines after securing Egypt’s only gold of the Paris Olympics. He was first man from his country to win more than one Olympic medal since Karam Gaber claimed wrestling silver in 2012 to go with the gold he won in 2004.

Nemour makes history for Africa

Also flying the flag for Africa and Arab sport, French Algerian Kaylia Nemour became the first gymnast from the African continent to win an Olympic medal when she took gold in the uneven bars event in artistic gymnastics.

The 17-year-old, who was born in France, was near flawless as she performed her breathtaking bars routine, which earned her a massive score of 15.70 in the final.

Nemour also performed well in the all-round competition, making the final and placing fifth overall, just 3.232 points behind gold medalist Simone Biles.

Khelif rises above the noise

Algeria’s other gold in Paris was claimed by Imane Khelif, who triumphed in the 66kg division to become the first Arab or African female boxer to make an Olympic podium.

The 25-year-old endured an unimaginable amount of injustice, scrutiny and online harassment during her time in Paris. She was misgendered and disrespected by many but somehow rose above it all as she powered to victory and clinched gold. She showed grace in every interview she gave and said her success had restored her honor and was the perfect response to those who had attacked her.

Palestinian athletes fly the flag

Eight Palestinian athletes competed at Paris 2024, all of them united by one mission: to raise the flag of their country, shine a light on the horrors taking place in Gaza, and provide a voice and platform for their people back home.

“For us to just ignore what’s going on is not feasible,” Valeria Tarazi, who swam in the 200m medley heats, told ABC News. “We’re affected by this every single day of our lives and it absolutely is our responsibility to speak out on what’s happening. And we’re not here to be politicians but we are here to tell our stories.

“Sport has given me more than I could ever ask for. But my job as an Olympian, here, is not to do my sport, be done and achieve all my goals, it’s to give back, it’s to educate.”

The Palestinian delegation received a standing ovation when they entered the Stade de France during the closing ceremony on Sunday and paraded around the stadium wearing the traditional keffiyeh headdress and waving their nation’s flag one more time.

Hafez stuns world with pregnancy announcement

Nada Hafez from Egypt reached the last 16 in sabre fencing by knocking out American No.7 seed Elizabeth Tartakovsky, before exiting the competition following a defeat by South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung.

Her impressive performance does not sound particularly out of the ordinary — but shortly after the defeat, Hafez made the stunning announcement on her Instagram page that she had been competing while seven months pregnant.

The 26-year-old instantly became one of the most talked-about athletes of the Games, as she proved just how limitless we can be, as humans, and reminded everyone never to underestimate the power of women.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Nada Hafez (@nada_hafez)

Morocco and Egypt reach soccer semi-finals

Not one but two Arab teams made it to the semi-finals of the football competition, with Morocco ultimately securing bronze and Egypt finishing in fourth place.

The Atlas Lions began their Olympics campaign with a wild victory over Argentina and ended it by netting six goals in the third-place play-off against their North African rivals.

Moroccan player Soufiane Rahimi was the tournament’s top scorer, with eight goals, and the first player in Olympic history to find the net in six consecutive games.

Egypt’s journey at the Games ended with a thrashing but the Pharaohs impressed on the road to the bronze-medal decider, defeating eventual champions Spain in the group stage and giving France a run for their money in the semis.

Barshim cements high jump legacy

Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim closed the final chapter on his Olympic career by becoming the first athlete to win four high-jump medals at the Games.

A silver medalist at London 2012 and Rio 2016, and gold medalist at Tokyo 2020, he made the podium for a fourth-consecutive Games by taking bronze at the Stade de France on Saturday.

The 33-year-old brought so much character to the high jump over the past 12 years, and of all his contemporaries he came closest to breaking Javier Sotomayor’s world record. He will be missed.

Katoussi leads trio of taekwondo medalists

The Arab world continues to make significant strides in taekwondo, and Tunisian Firas Katoussi became the latest addition to the region’s growing list of champions.

The 28-year-old was near-untouchable in all of his bouts as he stormed to gold in the -80kg event and then danced with joy in celebration at the heart of the Grand Palais.

Zaid Kareem from Jordan clinched silver in the -68kg event, while Mohammed Khalil Jendoubi from Tunisia added to the silver he won in Tokyo 2020 by securing bronze in Paris in the -58kg division.

Samir bags second career Olympic medal

She was devastated to miss out on gold but Sara Samir still had plenty to be proud of as she won a second Olympic medal to go with the bronze she won in Rio in 2016.

In the 81kg weightlifting event, the Egyptian briefly held the Olympic record in the clean and jerk, later broken again by Norwegian gold medalist Solfrid Koanda, before securing silver with 268kg.

Samir is one of only three Egyptian women to win more than one Olympic medal.

El-Bakkali defends title

He looked to be in a tough position late in the race but Moroccan runner Soufiane El-Bakkali managed to carve out enough space to take the lead and successfully defend his 3,000m steeplechase gold medal with a season-best time of 8 minutes 6.05 seconds.

In the women’s steeplechase, Winfred Yavi from Bahrain set a new Olympic record to take gold with a time of 8:52.76, the fourth-fastest of all-time in the event.


Boxing stars Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois face off at Tower Bridge in London

Boxing stars Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois face off at Tower Bridge in London
Updated 59 min 2 sec ago
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Boxing stars Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois face off at Tower Bridge in London

Boxing stars Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois face off at Tower Bridge in London
  • Dubois currently holds the IBF belt, but Joshua will be looking to become a three-time world champion in the division

LONDON: Fans got their first glimpse of two of the biggest names in boxing four days ahead of the highly anticipated Riyadh Season Card Wembley Edition fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois on Monday.

Joshua and Dubois faced off for the first time at a media event held near the iconic London landmark of Tower Bridge.

It was the first event in a week of build-up for a night of boxing at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, where the two British boxers will fight it out for the International Boxing Federation heavyweight title.

Dubois currently holds the belt, but Joshua will be looking to become a three-time world champion in the division.

The event is the first Riyadh Season boxing event to be held in the UK and the second time outside Saudi Arabia following the success of the first event in Los Angeles in August.

Also on Monday, Anthony Cacace and Josh Warrington faced off, who are set to fight for the IBF super featherweight title.

Fans also got to see Joshua Buatsi and Willie Hutchinson, who will compete for the World Boxing Organization interim light heavyweight title, face off.

They also saw Tyler Denny who fights Hamzah Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain who takes on Josh Padley, and a face-off between Josh Kelly and Ismael Davis, who stepped in to replace Liam Smith after Smith sustained an injury.


Bayern set sights on dream home Champions League final

Bayern set sights on dream home Champions League final
Updated 16 September 2024
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Bayern set sights on dream home Champions League final

Bayern set sights on dream home Champions League final
  • “Something big is coming,” Neuer told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s opening clash with Dinamo Zagreb at home
  • “The most important thing is the final in Munich. We want to go there and everything else is secondary”

BERLIN: Bayern captain Manuel Neuer said Monday his side were fully focused on the Champions League season, with this year’s final to be held at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
“Something big is coming,” Neuer told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s opening clash with Dinamo Zagreb at home.
“The most important thing is the final in Munich. We want to go there and everything else is secondary.
“We know what this final means to the city, the fans and the players. Our motivation is simply very high.”
Six-time European champions Bayern come into the season after their first trophyless campaign in 11 seasons, with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen winning a league and cup double.
In the Champions League, Bayern were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual winners Real Madrid, who beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley to lift the trophy.
Neuer and fellow Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, who both won the 2013 and 2020 Champions League finals, are the only two players in the squad to remember the 2012 home final, which they lost on penalties to Premier League side Chelsea.
Mueller went on social media on Monday, telling followers “the road to Munich starts tomorrow.
“I’m very excited. Let’s enjoy the best football in Europe.”
Manager Vincent Kompany, set to coach his first match in the Champions League, told reporters “the fans can dream.”
“The most important thing for me is that we show it on the pitch. We have a difficult game tomorrow. The important thing is that we play well and win tomorrow.”
Bayern have won every one of their Champions League openers since 2002 when they lost 3-2 to Deportivo La Coruna, which was the prelude to their first and only group stage elimination.


European Cup-winning former Villa striker Shaw dies aged 63

European Cup-winning former Villa striker Shaw dies aged 63
Updated 16 September 2024
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European Cup-winning former Villa striker Shaw dies aged 63

European Cup-winning former Villa striker Shaw dies aged 63
  • The forward died after recently going into hospital following a head injury suffered in a fall
  • “Aston Villa Football Club is deeply shocked and profoundly saddened to learn that Gary Shaw, one of our European Cup-winning heroes, has passed away,” a statement said

LONDON: Former Aston Villa striker Gary Shaw, who helped the club to their shock European Cup triumph in 1982, died on Monday aged 63.
Shaw was a member of the Villa side that won the First Division title in 1981 and then memorably stunned German giants Bayern Munich in the European Cup final 12 months later.
The forward died after recently going into hospital following a head injury suffered in a fall.
“Aston Villa Football Club is deeply shocked and profoundly saddened to learn that Gary Shaw, one of our European Cup-winning heroes, has passed away,” a statement said.
“Gary was one of our own, a talented striker who delighted supporters with his goalscoring exploits which helped fire Villa to success in the 1980s. Individual accolades would also follow for a player who was idolized by many on the terraces.


“He passed away peacefully earlier today surrounded by his family, who asked Aston Villa to release a statement on their behalf.”
Shaw’s death came on the eve of Villa’s first match in the Champions League for 41 years.
Unai Emery’s side face Young Boys in Switzerland on Tuesday and the Villa manager urged his team to win the match in tribute to Shaw.
“My condolences to the family and all the supporters at Villa,” said Emery, whose team will wear black armbands for the fixture in Bern.
“We have a memory always, in our training ground a picture of 1982 and the European Cup. He was a protagonist of that. My condolences to them.
“Yes, I think it’s sad and we can use it as motivation.”
Shaw joined Villa as an apprentice and went on to score 79 times in 213 appearances, including 20 goals in their 1981 title-winning campaign.
He was named PFA Young Player of the Year after Villa’s first English title since 1910.
Shaw scored three goals in Villa’s run to European Cup glory, including a crucial quarter-final strike against Dynamo Kiev.
Peter Withe’s winner against Bayern in Rotterdam lifted the team to previously unimaginable heights, with Birmingham-born Shaw savouring the triumph more than most.
Yet within a year of Villa’s epic victory, Shaw suffered a knee injury in a match against Nottingham Forest that curtailed his progress and ultimately saw him retire from the game after six operations.
He left the club in 1988 for spells in Denmark and Austria, before ending his career in 1992 after short stints at Walsall, Kilmarnock and Shrewsbury.
Shaw later worked as a statistical analyst and a matchday ambassador for Villa.


Tunisia's Jabeur to miss rest of year with injury

Tunisia's Jabeur to miss rest of year with injury
Updated 16 September 2024
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Tunisia's Jabeur to miss rest of year with injury

Tunisia's Jabeur to miss rest of year with injury
  • Jabeur missed the recent US Open due to the injury

PARIS: Ons Jabeur will miss the rest of the 2024 WTA season with a shoulder injury, the Tunisian announced on Monday.
The three-time Grand Slam runner-up has struggled for form and fitness this year, slipping to 22nd in the world rankings.
Jabeur missed the recent US Open due to the injury and has not played since a heavy defeat by Naomi Osaka in Toronto in early August.
“This year has been extremely hard for me and as athletes, we know that recovery is part of the journey,” she said on social media.
“Due to my ongoing shoulder injury, my medical team and I’ve made the difficult decision to step off the tennis circuit for the rest of the season.”
The 30-year-old said she would be back on court for the start of the 2025 campaign in Australia.


Simba say goalkeeper attacked after CAF Cup match in Libya

Simba say goalkeeper attacked after CAF Cup match in Libya
Updated 16 September 2024
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Simba say goalkeeper attacked after CAF Cup match in Libya

Simba say goalkeeper attacked after CAF Cup match in Libya
  • “It was scary. I saw Aishi being struck for no reason by a policeman and bottles and other objects hurled at our players,” said the official
  • “Aishi is shaken but okay. He is receiving treatment in the changing room“

JOHANNESBURG: Aishi Manula, the goalkeeper of Tanzanian club Simba, was struck by a policeman after a stormy CAF Confederation Cup qualifier in Libya on Sunday, an official from the visiting team told AFP.
The second round, first leg against Al Ahly Tripoli ended 0-0 in a packed 45,000-seat Tripoli stadium and Simba players dashed for cover at full-time as plastic bottles were flung at them.
“It was scary. I saw Aishi being struck for no reason by a policeman and bottles and other objects hurled at our players,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
“Aishi is shaken but okay. He is receiving treatment in the changing room. I also witnessed some Ahly players attacking the referee and his assistants.”
Both clubs are regular CAF competition campaigners with Ahly making a ninth appearance in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League and Simba a seventh.
Simba are considered potential title challengers in the Confederation Cup, which has been dominated by north African clubs with 16 titles from 21 editions.
Zamalek of Egypt are the current title-holders after edging Renaissance Berkane of Morocco on away goals in the last final.
South African coach Fadlu Davids recently took charge of the Dar es Salaam outfit after being assistant coach of Moroccan league and cup double winners Raja Casablanca last season.
Another first leg in Libya produced a thriller with Al Hilal Benghazi snatching a 3-2 victory over Al Masry of Egypt after trailing twice in the eastern city.
Salah Mohsen put Masry ahead in each half, but two goals from Mohammed al Shiteewi, either side of one from Faisal al Badri, set up an intriguing September 22 return match in Alexandria.
Dynamos of Zimbabwe look set to reach the group stage for the first time, at the third attempt, after a 1-0 win over Orapa United of Botswana in Francistown.
But the most popular club in the southern Africa nation left it late to build an aggregate lead as Valentine Kadonzvo scored with just two minutes of regular time remaining.
Zimbabwe have no international-standard stadium so Dynamos must play Orapa twice in neighboring Botswana.
Burundi outfit Rukinzo are in a similar situation to Dynamos with no suitable venue in the landlocked central African nation.
They opted to face record three-time Confederation Cup winners CS Sfaxien twice in Tunisia, and did well to restrict the home side to a 1-0 win through an early Mohamed ‘Cristo’ Dhaoui goal.