Palestinian Swimmer Hopes to Lift Spirits of Gazans at Olympics 

The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is pictured in front of the National Assembly in Paris, France, May 2, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is pictured in front of the National Assembly in Paris, France, May 2, 2024. (Reuters)
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Palestinian Swimmer Hopes to Lift Spirits of Gazans at Olympics 

The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is pictured in front of the National Assembly in Paris, France, May 2, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is pictured in front of the National Assembly in Paris, France, May 2, 2024. (Reuters)

Palestinian swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab, who is training for the 2024 Olympic Games, has a mission. He wants to represent Palestinians suffering from Israel's bombardment of Gaza by making a splash on the international stage.

These Olympics, which kick off in Paris on July 26, are perhaps more important than the last games in 2021 when he competed in Tokyo, he said.

"We, as Palestinian players, are here to raise the flag and show people that we are here, and even if we face difficulties, we will be there and represent the Palestinian people," he said.

The 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza need all the help they can get as they endure dire conditions. The war started when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel responded with air and artillery strikes that have killed more than 37,000 people and reduced much of the Gaza Strip to rubble.

Bawwab, 24, who was born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian refugees, is chasing a dream that is not his alone.

"My father’s dream was to learn how to swim and become a swimmer," Al Bawwab told Reuters in Dubai, where he conducts his workouts and runs a furniture factory.

But his father, Rashad Al Bawwab, who left Palestinian territory when he was 18, was not able to realize that dream.

"I wanted Yazan to enter swimming, because I loved swimming and it's a beautiful sport," the senior Al Bawwab said.

His father said the upcoming games in Paris are an opportunity for his son to help the Palestinian cause.

"But what's more important is that he represents an oppressed people, whose rights are repressed," Rashad said.

Aside from the near constant bombardments, Palestinians in Gaza are suffering a humanitarian crisis, with severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Many of their homes have been destroyed.

Al Bawwab was born and raised outside of the Palestinian territories. But he says: "I remain Palestinian, Palestine is in my heart and all my thoughts."

In Dubai, Al Bawwab trains by himself and with retired Palestinian Olympic swimmer Ahmed Gebrel, who represented Palestine at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Gebrel says: "I'm confident that he's at the top level and will represent us in the best way."

Al Bawwab will travel to an Olympic training camp in the Netherlands next week and then onto France. Ahead of the competition, his focus will be on three things - training, eating, and sleeping.

"Inshallah (God willing) we’ll win something, and make the country and the people proud," he says.

"I want to show people that Palestinians are strong. If we're given an opportunity, we'll take it."



Leipzig Player Misses Bundesliga Game after Being Late for Bus

Leipzig’s head coach Marco Rose waits for the start of the Champions League soccer match between RB Leipzig and Sporting CP at the RB Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
Leipzig’s head coach Marco Rose waits for the start of the Champions League soccer match between RB Leipzig and Sporting CP at the RB Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
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Leipzig Player Misses Bundesliga Game after Being Late for Bus

Leipzig’s head coach Marco Rose waits for the start of the Champions League soccer match between RB Leipzig and Sporting CP at the RB Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
Leipzig’s head coach Marco Rose waits for the start of the Champions League soccer match between RB Leipzig and Sporting CP at the RB Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

Leipzig defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu missed his team’s Bundesliga match at Augsburg because he was late for the bus, Reuters reported.

Leipzig coach Marco Rose told broadcaster DAZN before Friday’s 0-0 draw that Bitshiabu was supposed to be in the squad, but the 19-year-old French defender failed to show up in time for the team’s bus to the airport that morning.

“Chad missed the departure this morning and therefore also the flight,” Rose said. “So you can’t be there at the end of the day either.”

Bitshiabu could have arguably have made the game traveling by bus. Leipzig is roughly four hours from Augsburg by road, and the match had a late kickoff.

Bitshiabu, who has made 11 league appearances this season for Leipzig, had good chances of playing in Augsburg with captain Willi Orban suspended for his red card against St. Pauli the week before, and Benjamin Henrichs, Xaver Schlager, Assan Ouedraogo and Antonio Nusa all out with injuries.

Rose only had six outfield players available as substitutes, with one seat on the substitutes’ bench left free because of his shortage of players.

Serbian right back Kosta Nedeljković went on to make his Leipzig debut late on.

The draw in Augsburg meant Stuttgart could overtake Leipzig on Saturday with a win at home over Wolfsburg to move fourth, the last place for Champions League qualification.