The Tokyo Games is drawing to a close but interest remains high for athletes from the Mena region.
Below are the participants from the region in action at the Olympics on Tuesday.
Artistic Swimming
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Today we have the technical routine. Egypt’s Hanna Hiekal and Ali Laila will be in the pool, as will Eden Blecher and Shelly Bobritsky from Israel.
Athletics
Olympic Stadium
We have a full morning and evening schedule today at the Olympic Stadium, with medals to be claimed in the women’s long jump, hammer throw, 800m and 200m, as well as the men’s 400m hurdles and pole vault.
In the morning session, Abderrahman Samba of Qatar will be running in the men’s 400m hurdles final. Norway’s Karsten Warholm is a firm favourite for gold, however Samba is one of only three athletes in the field to break the 47 second mark, putting him in strong contention to add to Qatar’s 2020 medal haul.
It is the opening heats of the men’s 200m. Lebanon’s fastest ever man, Noureddine Hadid will be lining up against hot favourite Noah Lyles in his heat. And 100m semi-finalist Femi Ogunode from Qatar will also be looking for a place in the semi-finals.
There are six Mena men looking for a place in the semi-final of the men’s 1500 metres. Steeplechase winner Soufiane El Bakkali will have to be up and ready as he, Abdelatif Sadiki and Anass Essayi will be running for more Moroccan success in the middle distances. Adam Ali Musab and Abirahman Hassan will be representing Qatar and Sadik Mikhou will be running for Bahrain.
Look out for Aliya Bashnak of Jordan who will be running in the first round of the women’s 400m.
In the evening session you can expect to see Abdelrahman Mahmoud of Bahrain and Egyptians Mostafa Hassan and Mohamed Hamza throw for a place in the final of the men’s shotput.
Yaqoub Alyouha of Kuwait will be running in heats of the men’s 110m hurdles.
In the 5000m heats, Soufiyan Bouqantar of Morocco and Bahrainian Birhana Balew will be looking to finish in the top 5 to advance to the final.
Baseball
Yokohama Stadium
Israel will be playing against the Dominican Republic in the round 1 repechage.
Boxing
Kokugican Arena
Imane Khelif of Algeria will be going toe-to-toe with Ireland’s Kellie Anne Harrington in the quarter-final of the women’s light weight (57-60kg) class.
Diving
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Mohab Ishak from Egypt will be diving in the men’s 3m springboard semi-final.
Handball
Yoyogi National Stadium
As we have reached the men’s quarterfinals, Bahrain will take on France, and Egypt will be up against Germany.
Weightlifting
Tokyo International Forum
Iran’s Ali Hashemi finished in seventh in Rio in the 94kg weight class. This time he will be going for gold in the men’s 109kg class.
Also lifting in group B for a high place will be 21-year old African Championships winner Aymen Bacha of Tunisia.
Wrestling - various
Mukahari Messe
Plenty more action from Mena wrestlers today.
Two Iranian’s will be competing for a bronze medal, Mohammedali Geraei will take on Shohei Yabiku in the men’s Greco-Roman 77kg class, while Mohammadhadi Saravi awaits his opponent in the 97kg class bronze medal fixture.
In the men’s Greco-Roman 77kg class, Tunisia’s Lamjed Maafi will grapple with Rafig Hueynov of Azerbaijan in the repechage.
In the last 16 of the men’s Greco-Roman 87kg class, Egypt’s Mohammed Metwally, and Algeria’s Bachir Sid Azara will be wrestling opponents from Japan and China (respectively) for a quarter-final place.
Meanwhile in the 67 kg weight class, Algeria’s Abdelmalek Merabet will be hoping to beat Hansu Ryu of South Korea so that he can face Egypt’s Mohamed Elsayed in the last 16. Already through are Iran’s Mohammadreza Geraei, and Tunisia’s Nasr Souleyman. He will be taking on Iraqi Aker Al Obaidi who will be representing the Refugee Olympic Team.
