Hamza Abdouh
Hamse Ziyad Abdouh | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 1, 1991 Palestine |
| Other names | Hamza Abdu |
| Occupation(s) | Athlete, swimmer |
| Known for | Representing Palestine at the 2008 Summer Olympics |
Hamse Ziyad Abdouh (also known as Hamza Abdu, ) (born January 1, 1991) is a Palestinian athlete specializing in swimming.
Career
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he competed as a representative for Palestine. Before the event, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on the difficulties he faced during training, noting that he practiced in an 18-metre pool rather than the official Olympic length of 50 metres. Although his coach mentioned assistance from the Israel Swimming Association, they emphasized that travel restrictions stemming from the Israeli occupation and limited financial resources from the Palestinian side significantly impeded his training. The British publication The Guardian recognized him as one of the "underdogs" at the Games and referred to him as a possible "successor to [Eric] Moussambani."
Abdouh holds Palestinian national records in both the 100-metre freestyle and 100-metre butterfly events, achieving a personal best time of 56 seconds in the 100-metre freestyle. He attributes much of his motivation to his cousin, Raed Awisat, who represented Palestine in swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens. Abdouh currently lives in East Jerusalem.
External links
- "Palestinian swimmer Hamza Abdu trains in Jerusalem, May 30, 2008", image by Reuters.
- Official biography from Beijing Olympics