The hope for Arab athletes at the Paris Olympics

Team Palestine waves their flag along the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, in Paris. Getty Images

The first summer Olympic Games to be held in 100 years in the French capital are finally under way.

In Paris, the weeks leading up to the grand event were filled with one too many hurdles that prevented momentum from building fully: from anti-Olympics protests by locals to arsonists attacking France's train network and the major political shake-up in the country earlier this month, in which a left-wing coalition defeated the far right in a surprise parliamentary election that resulted in a stalemate. But with the grand opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics completed smoothly, despite the rain and concerns about some of the elements portrayed in it, distractions have subsided. The focus, as it should be, until August 11, is now on the athletes, the spirit of the games and the actual sporting competition.

These are the first Olympics since the Covid-19 pandemic. The previous Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021 after being postponed by a year, took place when the world was still in the midst of lockdowns and social distancing. Participants had to compete in unfamiliar, isolated ways with stringent rules, mask mandates and constant, routine nasal swab tests.

For Olympians this year to be able to return to more "normal" times, in which they can move freely and have an audience, a crowd of spectators cheering them on, is a vast improvement, a dream experience for which athletes train hard their entire lives, and one that is truly unrivalled.

From the UAE, 14 athletes representing the Emirates in equestrian, swimming, cycling, judo and athletics, carry the dreams of a nation and represent excellence in sports. Other nations, like Saudi Arabia, have a number of firsts in this tournament.

And yet, despite a pandemic-free reality, this is a period of a different kind of darkness. The unspeakable horrors taking place in the region are the backdrop of games this time around. A much-needed ceasefire in Gaza is still a long way off, despite French calls for a ceasefire and a time of peace during the Olympics.

And for several participating Olympians, war is a reality that they cannot simply shake off. Their determination to compete and excel – and thus their mere presence on an arena as prestigious as the Olympics – is a testament to their mental strength and courage. The eight athletes in the Palestinian contingent should be lauded. Many of them have spoken about raising awareness of the devastating effect of the war.

Palestinian swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab told The National: “For me it’s not about the medals, it’s about reaching the most people about the Palestinian cause – I don’t care about medals. If a medal gets me more awareness, that’s what I care about. But for me, sport is a tool for peace."

There are several other Arab athletes from the region competing in the Olympics, many in the face of strife and conflict in their home countries. Hady Habib, despite a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Wimbledon men's champion Carlos Alcaraz in the first round, deserves applause for boosting Lebanese tennis and inspiring youngsters in a country that has been at the brink of war with neighbouring Israel. Habib is one of 10 Lebanese athletes competing at the Olympics.

There are many more Arab athletes waiting in the wings to compete and possibly take their place in the history books. Whether it is Egypt's volleyball star Doaa Elghobashy, or Tunisia's Fares Ferjani who has already claimed the distinction of a silver medal – the first for the Arab world at this games – the next two weeks promise a triumph of the human spirit. As much as that enthrals sports fans and spectators, for millions of people in troubled nations rooting for their athletes to show the world what they can achieve, the Olympic Games are an especially significant beacon of hope.