Family, crowds welcome home Jordanian silver medalist

AMMAN — Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Saleh Al-Sharabaty landed to a rousing reception at the Queen Alia International Airport on Wednesday morning, after a successful campaign earlier this week in Tokyo.اضافة اعلان



Saleh Al-Sharabaty landed home to cheering crowds in Amman on Wednesday, after winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 earlier this week. (Photo: Yaman Al-Helo)

The 22-year-old athlete earned a silver medal in taekwondo, which he wore around his neck when he landed to chants of “We love you Sharabaty!” from friends and family; by his side was his coach Faris Al-Assaf and teammate Juliana Al-Sadeq.



Saleh Al-Sharabaty landed home to cheering crowds in Amman on Wednesday, after winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 earlier this week. (Photo: Yaman Al-Helo)

Sharabaty became the second Jordanian athlete to win an official Olympics medal, after Ahmed Abu Ghosh won the Kingdom’s first at the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016 in taekwondo.



Saleh Al-Sharabaty landed home to cheering crowds in Amman on Wednesday, after winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 earlier this week. (Photo: Yaman Al-Helo)

 “I knew for a fact that I was able to achieve something for my country, from the moment that I landed in Tokyo I was willing to do everything in my power to actualize my dream and bring the medal back home,” Sharabaty told Jordan News.



Sharabaty was a favorite to earn a medal going into the summer games, based on recent performances.

“Nothing was going to stop me from winning the medal; we trained really hard all year round. I can’t remember how many training camps we went through last year, being away from my family and friends was the most stressful thing that I had to face in preparing for the Olympics,” he said. “But my teammates and coaches became my second family as we used to spend long hours in training every day.”

Sharabaty, who was ranked seventh in the world going into the Olympics, advanced to the taekwondo final by eliminating Nikita Ravalovic of Uzbekistan in round four of a thrilling match that the Jordanian won 13–11, after the first three rounds finished in a draw.

“My father may he rest in peace was the first one that I remembered when the referee announced me winning the semifinal,” he said. “I wouldn`t be here with a medal around my neck if it wasn`t for my mother and sisters who were really supportive from the start.”

Sharabaty’s mother Rola Al-Samman, shared the details of her son’s first taekwondo class with Jordan News: “He was still in elementary school, wearing the wrong shoes to training; he came back home crying, but that didn’t stop him from attending the next day.”

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