Hassan and Sherif secure tennis courts, Al Sayegh shines

With the Olympics just six weeks away, here's an update on some of the Arab athletes who have secured their tickets to the French capital next month.

A nice surprise for Lebanon

A pair of Arab tennis players received welcome news this week, with both Lebanon's Benjamin Hassan and Egypt's Mayar Sherif securing their places at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Monday that Hassan has been awarded a Universality Place in the men's singles at the Olympics, essentially a wildcard invitation for countries underrepresented at the Games.

Ranked 146th in the world this week, Hassan considers himself a late bloomer who only started taking tennis seriously at the age of 22.

Born and raised in Germany to Lebanese parents, Hassan made his Grand Slams qualifying debut this season and the Olympic Games will mark another special milestone for the 29-year-old.

Hassan has represented Lebanon in Davis Cup competition since 2018 and contacted the Lebanese Tennis Federation earlier this year to see if they could apply for a Universality Place for him for the Olympics.

He got the message that he was participating this week and couldn't believe it at first until he saw the email from the ITF with his own eyes.

Benjamin Hassan from Lebanon has received a wildcard for the men's singles at the Olympic Games in Paris. Sarahawk fotografia / FPTennis

It's a dream come true, so I'm very happy and excited, Hassan said The national one in a Zoom interview on Tuesday.

Hassan is the first tennis player to represent Lebanon at an Olympic Games and he admits that the term Olympian has a special ring to it, despite the fact that most tennis players grow up dreaming of Wimbledon or Roland Garros rather than the Olympics.

It's an incredible feeling. Of course, grand slams are always important, also because of the points and the good money. But you just have to ask yourself: how many players can be called an Olympian? Or being able to play and represent their country? It's not much, Hassan said.

So I am very happy to represent Lebanon. I would be the first [tennis player] someday I think, so that makes it exciting, and also a bit nervous. It's a great feeling.

Hassan is one of only five Lebanese athletes to have qualified for the Paris Olympics so far, as he joins kick shooter Ray Bassil, foil fencer Philippe Wakim, table tennis player Mariana Sahakian and taekwondo fighter Laetitia Aoun.

On this week's episode of the Abtal podcast, Bassil, who is heading to her fourth Olympics, explained why Lebanon has failed to get a wider delegation to qualify for the Games.

Sports in Lebanon are not supported, the reigning Asian champion said.

And with all the crises we've had in Lebanon, and with all the problems, the explosion, the young people traveling to work and to study and the government not being there, it's a big thing. So that's why there's no one who can really focus on young athletes and help them achieve, because basically we have a lot of talent, but we don't have the support.

Hassan, meanwhile, is grateful for the opportunity to raise the flag of Lebanon and is happy to be on the tennis court at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris this summer with other Arabs.

It's very good that they have this wildcard for players from countries that normally don't have a good chance of participating in the Olympics, so that's the only reason I can play, he said.

I'm very lucky to be part of it and get the wildcard. I just try to have fun there, enjoy it, have a good atmosphere, get a good image representing my country. I will be nervous, excited and happy, I don't really know what to feel.

Hassan's participation means two Arab men will compete in tennis at the Olympics, with Tunisian Moez Echargui already confirmed a place thanks to winning gold at the African Games earlier this year.

It is a good sign that we, the Arab countries, have some players who can give it a shot and have chances to play in the Olympic Games. Moez is a nice guy, a funny guy, we played doubles together in Japan. It is a great opportunity for us Arab players to show what we are capable of, Hassan added.

With the Olympics featuring a stacked draw that includes the very best tennis players in the world, Hassan already has a dream match in mind for his debut at the Games.

Probably Rafa, it might be his last year [competing]“So I think this is the only chance I can play against him, so I would definitely choose Rafa Nadal,” Hassan said without hesitation.

It will be difficult because he is playing very well there [at Roland Garros] and he would probably be better prepared than in Paris [at the French Open]. I think he would be very good at the Olympics, but that would be a dream. Because it really is the last chance I think where I have the opportunity to play against Nadal.

I would look forward to it. Even if I had tennis lessons, I would still take them.

Mayar on his way to the second Olympic Games

Meanwhile, Sherif capped a grueling seven-week spell in which she reached four finals in her last six tournaments and won 20 of 27 matches by securing her place at a second successive Olympics.

The Egyptian Tennis Federation has announced that Sherif will receive the continental spot, which initially went to African Games champion Angella Okutoyi, but was transferred as the young Kenyans failed to reach the top 400 of the rankings, leaving them out of qualified for the Olympic Games. .

Sherif, who is 63rd in the world rankings this week, could very well be in the Olympics draw via the rankings, but that is no longer relevant as she has been given the African spot.

After going winless for the first four months of the season, Sherif has thrived on her beloved red clay in recent weeks and says she will take a short break to review her last four defeats before switching her focus to Wimbledon and the Olympics .

In recent months I have poured my heart into every match, de Cairene wrote in a post on Instagram.

My mission was to succeed in securing a place to represent my country at the Olympic Games in Paris. After ten consecutive weeks without rest, I can proudly say that I have secured my place at the Olympic Games.

Despite the unexpected outcome of the Makarska Open, this marks the end of an unforgettable chapter. Now it's time for a well-deserved break to recharge, analyze my performance and work on correcting mistakes from my recent matches.

Big in Asia

UAE cyclist Safiya Al Sayegh finished an impressive 12th at the Asian Road Cycling Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Tuesday, marking her first appearance in an elite Asian road race.

The 22-year-old Emirati will head to Paris next month, where she will be the first Emirati female cyclist to compete in the Olympics.

Al Sayegh was one of 84 women who started the 112km race in Almaty, which was won by Song Minji of South Korea.

In a recent episode of the Abtal podcast, the trailblazing Al Sayegh spoke about some of the lofty goals she has set for herself in the world of professional cycling.

Absolutely, as bizarre as it sounds, [Id like to] maybe become world champion. “I say it with hesitation, but I would like to say it with more confidence,” she said.

I don't say a dream, because dreams are what you dream about, what you don't get up to work for and what you don't sweat for, what you don't shed tears and blood for. I call it a goal because I really put effort into it and would like to achieve it one day.

Updated: June 13, 2024, 3:13 AM