Ramallah, Palestine, July 25, 2024: Palestine taekwondo athlete Omar Ismail has a bigger goal than winning a medal at the Paris Olympics – to inspire children back in his country.
Palestine will be represented by eight athletes - six male and two female - in six sports at Paris 2024.
Only one Palestinian athlete, Omar Ismail, qualified for the Paris Games in his own right. The seven others gained their spots under a wild-card system as part of the International Olympic Committee’s universality quota places.
Ismail was born in Dubai to parents who come from the West Bank town of Jenin. Shortly after earning his spot to Paris at a taekwondo qualification tournament in China, the 18-year-old said he hoped to make an impact at the Olympics.
“I represent the identity of the people in Palestine, their steadfastness. I’d like to inspire the children of Palestine, show them that each of them can achieve their goals, give them hope,” Ismail was quoted by the Associated Press.
Palestine will compete in athletics, boxing, judo, swimming, shooting and taekwondo.
Most of the Palestine athletes were born and live abroad, coming from countries like the United States, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Chile and the United Arab Emirates. Nine months of war between Israel and Hamas has made life bleak in Gaza and the West Bank.
