The Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer games kicked off on Aug. 28, and a number of Arab countries are set to compete in various disciplines in an effort to secure a few medals— hopefully gold. For the Palestinian Paralympic Committee, all eyes are on Fadi Deeb, Palestine’s sole representative in this edition of the prestigious quadrennial tournament.
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During the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, held from July 26 to August 11 in Paris, eight Palestinian athletes competed across six different disciplines. Among the standout moments was Valerie Tarazi’s impressive second-place finish in the Women’s 200m Swimming Individual Medley, Heat 1. However, despite her strong showing, she fell short of claiming a medal. With Palestine finishing the Olympics without a podium appearance, all hopes now rest on Fadi Deeb to change the narrative and bring home a win at the Paralympics.
Ahead of Deeb’s Paralympics debut, below, five facts to know about the Palestinian para athlete.
He’s 39
Deeb was born in Gaza, more precisely in the Shuja’iyaa district, in 1984, making him 39 today.
He faced disability after being shot by the IDF
At the age of 18, during what is today known as the Second Intifada, Deeb was shot in the back by an Israeli sniper. Causing him to spend 14 months in remission, his T11 and T12 vertebrae fractures left him paralyzed and bound to a wheelchair ever since.
He will compete in the shot put category
For his Paralympic debut, Deeb will be competing in the shot put category: a track and field sport where one has to throw a heavy spherical ball as far as possible.
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He’s also wheelchair basketball player
An athlete by nature, Deeb also plays wheelchair basketball at first-division levels and has been competing professionally for over a decade. He has played for teams in Turkey, Greece, and France, where he currently represents Hurricane 92 Basketball.
He’s also a basketball coach
Aside from his career in shot-put and basketball, Deeb also coaches. He is currently at the head of the fourth and fifth divisions of Paris Basket Fauteuil (PBF), an association that encourages young people with special needs to play wheelchair basketball.
