Dr. Mahfoud Amara
Ons Jabeur reached the final of Wimbledon, one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments, for the second time. The Tunisian stated that her loss was "the most painful" of her career, but she is determined to come back even stronger. This has been the story of women’s sports in the Arab world: a tale of struggle, obstacles, challenges, as well as top performance. Looking at the history of the modern Olympics, although the participation of Arab women following the independence of Arab nations and their integration into the international sports system was delayed, with priority given to male sports (and still is), their performance, on the other hand, has been notable.
It all started with Nawal El Moutawakel’s gold medal in the 400 meters hurdles at the 1984 Summer Olympics for Morocco, followed by the impressive performance of Algerian Hassiba Boulmerka, who won both Olympic and world championship titles while her country was going through one of the most difficult times in its contemporary history. Ghada Shuaa also deserves recognition for winning Syria’s first and only gold medal in the heptathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics, which is not an easy discipline in track and field.
Let’s not forget other Arab women champions such as Nizha Bidouane, a two-time world champion in the 400 meters hurdles, and middle-distance runner Nouria Mérah-Benida, who won gold in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. Habiba Ghribi also deserves praise for her gold medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The 2012 Olympics were a milestone for Arab women’s participation, witnessing the inclusion of women from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This happened after the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations relaxed their rules regarding the wearing of veils.
Since then, Saudi women have started participating in other regional and international sports events, including for the first time the Arab Sports Games, which were held this month in Algiers after a 12-year of interruption since the Doha 2011 Arab Games due to various political and financial reasons.
We have many more Ons Jabeurs in different sports, such as judo, taekwondo, and even boxing, who deserve greater celebration. In the upcoming Summer Olympics, the ratio between male and female athletes will be equal. To enhance the nation’s performance and increase the number of medals, investing in women’s sports is not an option but a necessity.
The women’s Moroccan national football team is representing Arab women in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand which will kick off in the next few days. Let’s cheer for them as we did for the men’s team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University.
