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The 2024 Paralympic Games have been in full swing for the past two days. At the Paris Games, more than 4,400 para-athletes from 168 countries competed in the French capital, including 1983 women. Women accounted for 45% of the total number of competitors. The previous record was beaten (42% women in Tokyo).
549 Events
The Paralympians took part in a total of 22 sports and 23 disciplines (cycling being split into two, road and track). Boccia, a sport similar to pétanque, and goalball, a team sport for the visually impaired and blind, have no Olympic equivalent. The reason there are so many events (even though there are fewer disciplines than at the Olympics) is that the diversity of disabilities means that athletes are divided into categories.
214 Arab Athletes
No fewer than 214 athletes representing 17 Arab nations are taking part in the Games, which kicked off on Friday.
The Arab delegations are aiming to surpass the achievements of the Tokyo 2020 edition. In the Japanese capital, 234 athletes from 11 Arab federations won 55 medals, including 17 gold, 21 silver, and 17 bronze.
With only one athlete on site, Arz Zahreddine, Lebanon provides minimal service, far behind Egypt with its armada of 54 athletes. Behind Egypt, the Maghreb trio arrives in Paris in force: Morocco (38 athletes), Tunisia (30 athletes), and Algeria (26 athletes). Iraq is taking part with 20 athletes.
The United Arab Emirates is competing with 13 athletes in 5 disciplines, including shooting champion Ayesha Al-Mheiri, already present at Tokyo 2020, as well as athletes in athletics and judo. Saudi Arabia is represented by 9 athletes, including Hassan Al-Doushi (long jump), Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi (100 and 400 meters wheelchair), and Ali Al-Nakhli (100 and 200 meters), in addition to other talents in weightlifting, taekwondo, and equestrian.
Jordan is taking part with eight athletes in weightlifting and shot put.
They are followed by Kuwait (3), Yemen (2), and Bahrain (2). Libya and Lebanon close the Arab representation with a single athlete.
Over the history of the competition, Arab athletes have won a total of 535 medals at the Paralympic Games, including 162 gold, 188 silver, and 185 bronze.
Egypt is the Arab country most present in these games with 13 participations, followed by Kuwait and Bahrain with 10 participations each; Oman with 9; Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia with 8 participations; and Iraq, Syria, and the Emirates with 7 participations. Saudi Arabia took part 6 times; Libya, Palestine, and Qatar 5 times; Lebanon 4 times; and Sudan 3 times.
Let’s hope that this edition of the Paralympic Games will (at last?) be a fresh start for potential future Arab exploits. Tunisia set a good example with three medals in two days of competition. Morocco also got off to a good start with two medals.
