Dunya Abutaleb Qualified for Olympics for first time in Saudi history
The Israeli delegation to the Paris Olympics includes two athletes who won individual medals in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Artem Dolgopyat, who won gold in Tokyo, added a silver medal to his gymnastics achievements. The second, Avishag Semberg, will try to add another medal to the surprising taekwondo bronze medal she won in Tokyo.
Semberg’s first opponent, ranked eighth in the Olympic competition, is intriguing. Dunya Abutaleb is the first Saudi athlete ever to secure an Olympic spot in their martial arts branch. The match between Semberg and Abutaleb took place on Wednesday morning, with Abutaleb advancing to the next round.
If she wins her first-round match in the under-49 kg weight category, Semberg is expected to face Thai fighter Panipak Wongpattanakit in the quarterfinals. Wongpattanakit, ranked first in the world, defeated Semberg in the Round of 16 in Tokyo and advanced to win gold. Wongpattanakit, nicknamed "Tennis," has won two Olympic medals (including bronze in Rio) and two World Championship titles, and is of course the favorite to advance to the semifinals. Even a loss to Wongpattanakit would not eliminate Semberg’s chances for a second consecutive bronze.
In the past, Saudi athletes have boycotted matches against Israelis, but at Tokyo 2020, judoka Tahani Alqahtani competed against Raz Hershko in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. After Hershko won, the two even shook hands and complimented each other. Recently, the possible normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel has intensified, but the war has cooled it down.
The Saudi delegation to Paris includes nine athletes, seven men and two women. Apart from Abutaleb, the only other woman to compete in the Games was swimmer Mashael Alayed, who ranked 29th and second to last in the 200-meter freestyle. The only athletes to advance in the competition are two equestrians in the individual competitions, who have qualified for the final, which has not taken place yet. In this sport, the Saudis have won two of their four Olympic medals.
Abutaleb is indeed the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics on merit following her victory over a competitor from the Philippines in the semifinals of the Asian tournament. Before her, six Saudi women competed in the Olympics in athletics, judo and swimming but all received invitations.
Her long journey began at age 8. Her late father introduced her to the Korean martial art as a young girl. At that time, taekwondo was almost unknown in Saudi Arabia, and women and girls were prohibited from training in martial arts or practicing sports in public. "My father ignited my love for taekwondo," she said recently in a video posted online. "It was an unpopular sport, and it seemed like he felt that women would make their mark in Saudi Arabia. He always supported me, and every time I wanted to quit, he would say, 'No, don't stop.'"
Dunya Abutaleb on the cover of Vogue Arabia
After securing her ticket to Paris, she appeared on the cover of Vogue Arabia alongside Nawal El Moutawakel from Morocco, the first Arab and Muslim woman to win a gold medal (in the 400-meter hurdles) in 1984. In an interview with El Moutawakel, she said: "I was in a boys club as there were no martial arts training centers for women. I used to be upset and cry because training with boys requires much physical and mental effort."
"I am proud to be the first woman to achieve this. I am also honored to be a role model for Saudi women, or everyone who has a dream and aspires to make history with it," said Abutaleb. She thanks her late father for pushing her to strive for excellence. "I became more resilient and never gave up. I told myself I am strong and won’t be defeated easily."
Bronze at the World Championships and a break from practicing law
In an interview, she said: "I faced difficulties, cried more than I laughed. Every day there was pain. I lost more than I won." But eventually, success came and she won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Mexico two years ago and finished third at the Asian Games that same year. Following these unprecedented successes, she also stopped working as a lawyer: "I did it to compete in the Olympics. Maybe if I win an Olympic medal, I’ll return to law."
"I am chasing my dream," she said in a video posted by the Saudi Information Ministry. "When I sleep, when I wake up, everything I think about is Paris. I feel like an international athlete since I qualified for Paris. It’s not an easy place to be, so yes, I’m a tough competitor. Being the first woman is a big challenge for me. I’m not doing this just for myself, but for Saudi Arabia."
After securing her Olympic ticket, Abutaleb received congratulations from the International Olympic Committee member and Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, who is known for promoting modernization in the conservative kingdom. At the opening ceremony, Abutaleb carried the Saudi flag alongside Ramzy Al Duhami, a 52-year-old equestrian.
Although she is ranked ninth in the Olympic competition (and 16th in the world), Abutaleb and her family are hoping for great things: "With God’s help, I will win gold. My mom said to me, 'If you don’t win, I’ll slap you.'"