The Arab world needs some good news. After just three days of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it has got exactly that, thanks to a remarkable new generation of athletes.
The unfolding drama of their success is not just built on medals and statistics. It is about their journeys to the Games, too.
In what is being described as the first major shock of the competition, Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui won the final of the men's 400-metre freestyle. At only 18, he now plans to follow in the footsteps of Tunisia's two-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Oussama Mellouli. He also gave the Arab world its first gold medal at the Games.
Hafnaoui beat favourites from Australia and the US in Saturday's race. Both countries are global leaders in the sport. Throughout the history of the Olympics, Australia has won almost 60 swimming gold medals; the US, nearly 250. Tunisia, across all sports, has won gold only five times. This might be a modest number, but three of these victories have now been in swimming, giving the country a stake in one of the toughest and most famous disciplines at the Games.
In table tennis, Syrian athlete Hend Zaza was already winning before the competition started. Just 12 years old, she is the youngest athlete competing in Tokyo, a remarkable achievement given her background growing up in the city of Hama, which has been caught up heavily in the country's civil war.
Zaza joins many other Middle Eastern athletes who have excelled in spite of tragedy. More than half of the 29-strong refugee squad hail from the region, particularly Syria and Iran.
Regardless, their sportsmanship is shining through. Zaza was knocked out early after a defeat against Austria's Liu Jia, who was three times her age. After the match, she was pictured going up to the Austrian and taking a selfie. Many adults at the Games would be incapable of such decorum. And during the opening ceremony, Syrian refugee brothers Alaa and Mohamed Maso were pictured embracing each other, as they prepared to compete in swimming and triathlon respectively. Hafnaoui dedicated his victory to his family, his coaches and the people of Tunisia.
Taking place in the middle of a pandemic, Tokyo 2020 has been one of the most controversial Olympic Games in history. While debates around safety are necessary, after a year of tragic news bulletins, the Middle East deserves to celebrate this important chapter in its sporting history. And with all the pain of recent years, young Middle Easterners are shouldering a particularly heavy burden. Far too many are beginning life amid conflict, upheaval and uncertainty. We should never romanticise preventable hardship, but the resilience of the region's youth is staggering audiences across the world. Within just a few days, countless have become the ambassadors of a more positive future, one where struggle on and off the field is forming young people into remarkable adults.
