Five athletes overcome obstacles to represent Yemen at Tokyo 2020

Members of the Yemeni delegation at the opening ceremony of Tokyo 2020. (Yemen NOC)

• Despite the turmoil in the country, the delegation will represent Yemen in its 10th Olympic Games

DUBAI: Five athletes will represent Yemen at Tokyo 2020 despite the country’s continuing war and political and economic turmoil.
The country’s 12-strong delegation at the opening ceremony in the Japanese capital included the athletes and their coaches, and was headed by the Yemeni ambassador to Germany, Yahya Al-Shuaibi, who is also a vice president of the Yemen National Olympic Committee (NOC).
The five athletes are Yasmine Al-Rimi in the Women’s Shooting, Ahmad Salem in the Men’s Judo, swimmers Mukhtar Ali Al-Yamani in the Men’s 100 and 200 meters freestyle and Noran Bamatraf in the Women’s 100 meters freestyle, and athlete Ahmed Al-Yari in the men’s 400 meters.
The is the 10th time that Yemen has participated at the Olympics since its NOC was established in 1974 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1981.