Waseem Abu Sall is set to make history as the first boxer to represent Palestine at the Olympic Games after earning a wildcard berth into Paris. An Instagram post sharing the news by @thenationalimpact has already garnered 36,588 likes and numerous comments.
Sarr, who is from the occupied West Bank, is coached by Cairo-based Ahmad Halala, who is from Gaza and cannot travel to the West Bank, so sends Waseem training instructions by text.
Competing in the 57kg category, Wasim reached this incredible milestone after fighting through a series of tough qualification bouts to secure a wild card berth.
“Every day, when I went to bed and when I woke up, I was thinking about how I could compete in the Olympics,” he told The Japan Times.
Waseem spoke passionately about a lifelong dream that began at the age of 10. Reflecting on his journey, he said the barrier between the West Bank and Gaza Strip meant they were unable to contact each other and he was only able to meet his coach when they travelled abroad for competitions.
He is diligently following the daily training schedule laid out by his coach, undertaking rigorous sessions in the morning and evening under the guidance of coach Nader Jayousi.
The political reality in the West Bank, where Israeli military checkpoints restrict movement, is an obstacle for Abu Sal before his historic journey can begin. He said it is difficult for players from the West Bank to travel to them. Abu Sal stressed that the situation makes it difficult to hold tournaments locally, reducing competition opportunities in the country.
He told The Japan Times that traveling abroad for training and matches comes with many challenges, explaining that many countries deny visas to Palestinian passport holders, often resulting in them being unable to attend matches.
One of the toughest challenges in his preparations for the Olympics is the Gaza conflict that erupted following unprecedented attacks on Israel by Hamas that left 1,195 people dead, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.
As the Olympics approached, Abu Sal’s determination to clinch a spot in the running for a gold medal became single-minded: train, eat, sleep.
“It was like life came back to me,” he told The Japan Times.
Reacting to the news, social media users flooded the comments section with messages of praise and congratulations, with one user writing: “Victory!! 👏 The Palestinian people will rise up. This is a perfect example!!”
Another user commented: “Long live Palestine 🍉🙏🏾 May God bless the Palestinians and all those who are suffering and those who are witnessing the suffering of their loved ones. May God continue to grant us strength and peace in these severe trials in our lives.”
“Their determination will make them famous all over the world,” commented a third Instagram user, while a fourth posted: “Good luck darlings ❤️🇵🇸 Their resistance knows no bounds.”
