Mohammed Dwedar, the only athlete representing Palestine at the 20th World Athletics Championships in Japan, said Saturday he was running not just for himself but for his country.
“I ran in a race I cannot lose. How can I lose when I started with nothing?” Dwedar told Anadolu after competing in the men’s 800-metre heats in Tokyo. “When I run, I feel like I am doing something for this flag.”
Pride and struggle
Dwedar, who also competed at the Olympics, described the honour of carrying Palestine’s name on the world stage.
“I am very happy to represent Palestine at the World Athletics Championships. I have very mixed emotions. You know what has been going on in my country. I have gone through a very difficult preparation process,” he said.
“I am very proud to compete for a country like Palestine at the World Athletics Championships. This will be a lifetime honour for me. I am the only athlete from Palestine participating in the championships because, as you know, we do not have any racetracks to train on,” he added.
He said the atmosphere in Tokyo and support from fellow athletes lifted his spirits: “The athletes I competed with in Tokyo were my friends, and very helpful and supportive to me.”
Life shaped by running
Dwedar recalled that his sister first inspired him to run: “She was a runner too. When I went to watch my sister’s team, they said, ‘You can run too,’ and I love running. Running has been an important part of my life. I have never stopped running since then.”
He added that despite the difficulties, he prepares with focus: “I need to concentrate before the race. Even though I feel very sorry for Palestine, I need to focus during the race, otherwise you cannot make up even a second you lose. I do not watch television and check my phone as all I see is bad news. I need to focus on the race.”
Sports under attack in Gaza
Dwedar spoke about the devastating impact of Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza’s sports community.
“Those who died and were martyred were my friends. I have many friends in Gaza. My team is in Gaza now, but we cannot train there. No sports in Palestine; nowhere is safe,” he said.
“There is nowhere to train; we only train on the streets. There is no safe place. It is very dangerous, but we have no alternative. There is nothing we can do. There is no running track, no stadium, but we cannot stop. I run from the heart. When I run, I am very happy. When I run, I send a message. When I run, I feel like I am doing something for this flag.”
In Gaza, more than 800 athletes have been killed and nearly 300 sports facilities destroyed in the past two years of Israeli attacks. Ninety percent of sports infrastructure has been wiped out, with football fields turned into “cemeteries.”
“The whole world knows what is happening in Palestine. Everyone knows what is happening in Palestine,” Dwedar said. “We are here for sports, and I want to send a message for the Palestinian people. I thank my family and my people for their support. I am also sending a message to Palestinian children: Keep working, and we can win medals for this flag.”
