Unfulfilled Athletic Aspirations in Palestine: "A whole youth's dreams are buried beneath the wreckage of sports facilities"
In the world of sports, Palestine has long been a vulnerable area, serving as a beacon of resilience for young people amidst adversity, according to Mark Gerban, a former US-Palestinian rower.
However, the situation has deteriorated significantly. Since October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Olympic Committee has reported the tragic deaths of 789 Palestinian athletes. A further 119 athletes and sports officials are missing. These shocking figures have been confirmed by Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, who has condemned the 'systematic targeting' of Palestinian athletes and called on the international community to address the issue.
Rajoub has explicitly held international sports federations such as FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as Israeli sports federations, responsible for showing a reaction. He has also called for an immediate halt to training and other sporting activities in the illegally occupied West Bank.
The Al-Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza, once a hub of community life and sport, is said to have been turned into a detention and torture center. Other sports facilities in Palestine have been completely destroyed.
This grim reality is not lost on athletes like the former Palestinian rower, who achieved 16th place at the 2007 World Championships in Munich. They express concern that their name could appear on the list of Palestinian athletes who have died due to violence.
Gerban, in his book 'The Jew Who Rowed For Palestine: An Israeli-Palestinian's Search for Identity' published in 2024, recounts an incident at the 2006 World Rowing Championships in Eton where an Israeli athlete made a threatening remark towards him. This encounter, he describes as a 'dark, now-fulfilled prophecy'.
In a bid to shed light on this pressing issue, a Berlin publisher has opened an opportunity for interested parties to offer texts with relevant content and professional quality standards. The contribution is subject to the Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Gerban calls for a peaceful but decisive response from the international community, suggesting the exclusion of Israel from sporting events until respect for Palestinian athletes is restored. His plea echoes the sentiments of many who seek justice and safety for athletes in Palestine.
