Tunisia Live (Tunis)
Wiem Melki
9 December 2011
Today, December 8, 2011 marks the beginning of the Pan Arab Games in Doha, Qatar. The games will last until December 23 and feature a myriad of Tunisian athletes.
The Pan Arab Games are a multi-sport event that will be held in Qatar for the first time in 12 years. The games will feature 30 sports, 35 special events, and 8,000 athletes from approximately 20 countries – not counting Syria and Somalia. Syria was excluded after the decision of the Arab league to suspend its inter-Arab activities and Somalia because of famine and internal problems.
Tunisia will participate in 16 special events.
The sports will be divided into solitary competitions such as chess, tennis, boxing, fencing, canoeing, swimming, judo, squash, archery, track and field, and bodybuilding, and team sports like basketball, volleyball and football.
Tunisia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Slim Cheker, as well as the State Secretary, Rim Mizouni, received special invitations to attend the event and support their nation’s athletes.
Oussama Mellouli, Olympic gold medal winner and African record holder in the 1500m freestyle, will participate in the games along with fellow Tunisian swimmers Taki Mrabet, Ahmed Mellouli, Sarah Lajnef and Farah Ben Khalil.
In addition to swimming, other well known Tunisian athletes will compete in the games. Tennis player Ons Jaber, the first Arab to win the prestigious Rolland Garros Award, will be in attendance, along with Malik Al Jaziri, who is ranked 113 worldwide.
Faysal Jaballah and Nihel Chikhrouhou will represent Tunisia in the Judo competition and Dorra Mahfoudh and Chaima Trabelsi in track and field.
Sara Besbes, who became well known after boycotting a competition in Italy in protest to facing her Israeli opponent, will take part in the fencing competition. She will be joined by her sisters, Hela and Azza.
Lastly, Wajdi Bou Alleg will participate in the gymnastics event.
With Tunisia so strongly represented in the Pan Arab Games, the possibility that Tunisian athletes will bring home medals is high.
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