Eight Palestinian athletes to compete in Paris

TEHRAN – Eight Palestinian athletes will take part in the Paris Olympic Games, which get under way on July 26.

After nine months of war in Gaza, their presence will serve as a platform to raise public awareness of their commitment to their people, according to Palestinian officials, france24.com reported.

The Palestinian Territories will this summer be officially represented at the Olympic Games for the eighth time, beginning with the 1996 Games in Atlanta. The Palestinian delegation will include eight athletes in Paris, up from five who competed in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

“Representing Palestine” at the Paris Games “is already a victory”, said the Palestinian Authority‘s minister of state for foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, at a press conference on July 14 at the French Institute in Ramallah.

“The departure of our athletes for the 2024 Olympics comes at a very dark moment in our history,” she added. “You are not just athletes but also … symbols of Palestinian resistance,” she said.

“Palestinian sport has been hit hard by the war,” said Nicolas Kassianides, the French consul general in Jerusalem, at the Ramallah event, adding that Paris was providing Palestinian sport with €1 million in support in 2024.