Daily Times

RAMALLAH: The Palestinians began their Olympic campaign in Rio on Saturday with a record six athletes competing in four disciplines, despite difficulties in getting to the games. Israeli restrictions on Palestinians leaving the war-torn Gaza Strip delayed the Palestinian team captain’s arrival in Rio, said Jibril Rajub, president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee. Almost all exit points from Gaza are controlled by Israel, which cited security concerns before finally allowing Issam Qishta to leave. Palestine will be competing in the games for the sixth time. “Every time we send more athletes to the Olympics,” said Munther Masalma, secretary general of the POC. “Despite the lack of means and the fact that we live under occupation, we send more athletes than some countries that are totally free,” he told media. Mayada Sayyad, 23, a marathon runner from Jerusalem who lives in Berlin, carried the Palestinian flag at the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday night at the Maracana stadium in Rio. Simon Yacoub, 28, is seen as Palestine’s best chance for a medal, in the men’s under 60 kilos judo. Swimmer Ahmed Gebrel, 24, will be hoping to improve on his performance at the London 2012 Olympics in the 200 metres freestyle. Mohammed Abukhoussa, 23, from Gaza, will compete in the men’s 100 metres, while swimmer Mary Al-Atrash, 22, will compete in the 50 metres women’s freestyle. Christian Zimmermann, 54, a German-born former businessmen with Palestinian citizenship, will compete in the Equestrian Dressage. Palestine has never won an olympic medal. Of the five Palestinians who competed in London in 2012, four attended by virtue of an International Olympic Committee invitation to emerging teams that have yet to reach the required entry standards. The fifth, Maher Abu Rmeileh from Jerusalem, was the first Palestinian ever to qualify for the Olympics.