With handmade bows, Palestinian men aim to qualify for archery competition at 2024 Olympics
They have overcome many difficulties along the way. First, they could not find bows and arrows in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and they also cannot import them from abroad due to Israeli restrictions.
By Sanaa Kamal
Armed with the bows that they have handmade themselves, Ahmed al-Zahhar and Wasim Naief, two Gaza-based young Palestinians, aspire to enter the archery competition at the 2024 Olympic Games.
“We are obsessed with the sport as Arabic heroes used archery bows in their wars against enemies,” said al-Zahhar, who has been practicing with Naief as hard as they can to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
They have overcome many difficulties along the way. First, they could not find bows and arrows in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and they also cannot import them from abroad due to Israeli restrictions.
Taking matters into their hands, the two men decided to manufacture archery bows and arrows by using the available tools in Gaza. They have to produce two types of bows, compound bows and recurve bows, for the Olympic competitions, Naief explained.
“We resorted to the websites specialized in making bows to learn how to make them locally,” the 31-year-old man told Xinhua.
Al-Zahhar turned a small room in his house into a workshop, where they have experienced many failures in their effort to make own bows and arrows.
“We also communicated with international experts on social media to make sure that our design meets the Olympic standard by sending pictures and the materials that we use,” al-Zahhar said.
They also frequently visited the blacksmithing and carpentry workshops in Gaza, supervising everything in the making of the bows.
“We must pay attention to every millimeter of the thickness of the ends and the central piece,” Naief recalled.
After six months of hard work, the two young men finally succeeded in making their first bow based on all tips from the experts they contacted. It cost them 1,700 U.S. dollars.
Since then, they have been busy practicing the sport. In 2021, the two men joined the Palestine Athletic Federation and represented Palestine in the archery championship held in Iraq.
To qualify for the Olympics, the two men currently face the challenge of finding a safe place to practice the sport in the crowded enclave, as a distance of at least 100 meters is needed to avoid causing any harm to the people.
Beyond their aspiration to join the Olympics, al-Zahhar and Naief also hope to spread the sport in Gaza Strip, by forming the first local archery team.
