RAMALLAH: "To be in Paris to raise the Palestinian flag and say the word 'Palestine' is already a win," Palestinian Olympic swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab told Xinhua during a recent video interview.
The 24-year-old Palestinian young man will compete in the Men's 100-metre backstroke in the Paris Olympic Games, reported Xinhua.
"For any Palestinian, it doesn't matter how you swim or how you perform in your competition; being here and being like the rest of the world is the win," he said.
Al Bawwab, who has already arrived in the French capital, will be the Palestinian team's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. This is his second Olympics, following his participation in Tokyo.
As the conflict in Gaza has entered its tenth month, the Palestinian team has received more attention.
"There are more eyes on Palestine. There's more media coverage on Palestine. There are more people caring about Palestine," he told Xinhua, adding that some athletes have asked about his family in Palestine.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza has risen to 39,145, with approximately 90,257 others injured since October 7 last year, according to Gaza-based health authorities on Wednesday.
Al Bawwab's father had also dreamed of being a swimmer. However, after leaving Palestine at a young age, he faced hardships, including sleeping on the road, which prevented him from pursuing his dream.
Born in Saudi Arabia and raised in Dubai, Al Bawwab took up his father's dream and carried it forward.
During the past year, he has been training for 10 hours a week. "I have had a very difficult time. I had to work to support myself to swim," he said.
Since joining the Paris-based training camp, he has doubled his training duration to 20 hours a week in preparation for the Olympics. "This time, I can do better than in Tokyo," Al Bawwab said.
He considers himself "an ambassador of Palestine, not formally," and he also wants to enjoy the Games.
"I know many athletes in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who have a high passion for sports and cling to their dreams despite difficulties. As Palestinians, when we have a passion, we keep pursuing it, even when everything seems closed off to us," the young man stressed.
"Sports are amazing, and they're a way to spread joy to a lot of people. I'm thankful for that," he said.