Leading Arab Athletes are Gearing up to Shine at the Paris Olympic Games

Arab Athletes are Gearing up to Shine at the Paris Olympic Games

Top athletes from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are in France this month, preparing to compete in the ongoing Olympic Games Paris 2024 and showcase their skills on the global stage. A number of Arab athletes have qualified in various sports, with two already securing medals in fencing. Tunisia’s Fares Ferjani earned a silver in the Men’s Individual Sabre, and Egypt’s Mohamed El Sayed won bronze in the Men’s Epee Individual event.

The Olympic Games Paris 2024, which started on July 26 and will run until August 11, are being broadcast live and exclusively in the MENA region on beIN SPORTS across 17 dedicated channels, ensuring viewers can watch every moment in high definition. Additionally, the network has produced original docuseries highlighting the inspiring stories of Arab athletes at the Olympics.

Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatar

Defending Olympic champion and high jump star Mutaz Essa Barshim is aiming to secure consecutive golds after winning back-to-back silvers in London and Rio. Following his memorable performance at Tokyo 2020, Barshim is one of Qatar’s most celebrated athletes, setting the stage for a potentially historic moment in Paris. Qatar’s delegation also includes Olympic gold medallist weightlifter Fares El Bakh, as well as athletes in athletics, shooting, beach volleyball, and swimming. The Men’s High-Jump Finals will take place on August 10.

Julyana Al Sadeq, Jordan

Jordan’s taekwondo standout, Julyana Al Sadeq, is targeting gold in Paris, having become the first Arab woman to top the world rankings. With a World Championship silver and an Asian Games gold in the 67kg category, she hopes to become Jordan’s first Olympic taekwondo medallist. Jordan is also represented by gymnast Ahmad Abu Al Soud, the first Jordanian to compete in the Olympics, alongside athletes in various other disciplines. Taekwondo events will be held from August 7 to 10.

Sara Ahmed, Egypt

Egypt has sent its largest-ever delegation to the Olympics, comprising 164 athletes across 22 sports, including football, volleyball, gymnastics, and swimming. Among the medal hopefuls are weightlifter Sara Ahmed, a 2023 World Champion and Rio 2016 bronze medallist, competing in the 81kg category, and Ahmed El Gendy, who won silver at Tokyo 2020 in Modern Pentathlon. Weightlifting events are scheduled for August 7.

Safiya Al Sayegh, UAE

The 22-year-old cyclist Safiya Al Sayegh is set to make history as the first female cyclist from the UAE to compete at the Olympics. Al Sayegh, who has already become the country’s first professional female cyclist and signed with a women’s UCI World Team, will compete in the 158km Women’s Elite Road Race on August 4. The UAE is also represented by at least 14 athletes in equestrian, swimming, athletics, and judo.

Benjamin Hassan, Lebanon

Benjamin Hassan is another Olympic debutant from the Arab World, having made history as the first Lebanese tennis player to win a match at the Olympics after defeating former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Christopher Eubanks in straight sets. Lebanon is represented by at least 10 other athletes across various sports, including trap shooter Ray Bassil and taekwondo practitioner Laetitia Aoun. The Men’s Singles Tennis gold medal match will take place on August 4.

Dunia Abutaleb, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Dunia Abutaleb, competing in the 49kg taekwondo category, has made headlines as the first woman from the Kingdom to earn direct Olympic qualification. Saudi Arabia’s delegation includes at least nine athletes—six men and three women—across four sports: athletics, equestrian, swimming, and taekwondo. Taekwondo competitions will be held from August 7 to 10.

Other notable athletes include Tunisian runner Marwa Bouzayani in the 3,000-metre steeplechase and Moroccan and Algerian participants in the inaugural break-dancing event, the Olympics’ newest sport. Viewers can catch all the action live on beIN SPORTS, broadcasting the Olympic Games Paris 2024 with commentary in Arabic and English. 

For a full guide to beIN’s Olympics programming, visit www.bein.com/en/tv-guide.
 

Source: beIN SPORTS