Waseem Abu Sal makes history as first boxer to represent Palestine at Paris Olympics 2024. Here’s his story

Coming from the occupied West Bank, Sal is coached by Cairo-based Ahmad Harara. Harara is from Gaza and is unable to travel to the West Bank and sends Waseem training instructions through text messages.

Fighting in the 57 kg category, Waseem battled through a series of intense qualifying bouts to earn a wildcard entry to reach this remarkable milestone.

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

Waseem spoke passionately about his lifelong dream, which began at the age of 10. Reflecting on his journey, he mentioned how he only gets to see his coach during international travels for competitions, as communication remains remote due to the barriers between the West Bank and Gaza.

He diligently follows the daily training schedule crafted by his coach, which involves rigorous sessions under the guidance of coach Nader Jayousi both in the morning and evening.

 

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The political reality of the West Bank, with Israeli army checkpoints restricting movement, presents hurdles for Abu Sal before his historic journey begins. He mentioned that athletes from the West Bank find it challenging to come to them. Abu Sal highlighted that this situation makes it hard to organize tournaments locally, resulting in fewer competition opportunities in the country.

He told Japan Times that traveling abroad for training or competitions presents him with numerous challenges. He explained how many countries deny visas to those holding Palestinian passports, often causing them to miss out on tournaments.

One of the most difficult challenges to his Olympic preparation has been the conflict in Gaza, which began following Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel, which killed 1,195 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.

With the Olympics approaching, Abu Sal’s determination has solidified into a singular focus: “train, eat, and sleep,” spurred on by his ticket to vie for the gold medal.

“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.”