London Olympics: Overwhelming response to participation of women athletes from Qatar, Brunei and Saudi Arabia

Mail Today Sports Editor S. Kannan feels the participation of women athletes from Arab nations is a big achievement, no matter what the results.

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Sarah Attar
Sarah's participation in 800m heat was applauded by the audience, though she finished last.

The London Olympics have been path-breaking on a very special front, though one should not go by the results they achieved in the international arena.

In the lead-up to the Games, there was a major controversy over the participation of women athletes from Qatar, Brunei, Saudi Arabia and even Afghanistan. But now that token participation has been registered, the positive reactions from the sporting fraternity are huge.

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On Wednesday, when 19-year-old Saudi woman runner Sarah Attar competed in the 800m heats, she finished last. Sarah's timing was two minutes 44.95 seconds, but the applause she got was overwhelming. Her dress was pretty unconventional for an athletics arena, where instead of the usual shorts and T-shirt she was fully covered.

But what caught the eye most was her white hijab -- the scarf that covered her hair. Irrespective of the timing Sarah clocked, she has already created a new record by becoming the first Saudi woman athlete to run on the track at the Olympics.

Agreed, she did not make it to the Olympics through a proper qualification, but the world wanted participation from the Saudi women and London has succeeded in it. Before Sarah, Saudi judoka Wodjan Ali Seraj had taken part as well and has now returned home.

For the western world, the participation of these athletes is viewed as some sort of liberation, though nothing changes for them at home as the laws are very strict. In fact, Sarah avoided the large posse of media and very few people got short bytes from her.

"It is such an honour to be representing Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, this can make such a huge difference," she told BBC. "It was such a unique opportunity. They (IOC) invited me and welcomed me to make that first step for women. It's just the most amazing feeling ever."

The London Olympics also marks the first occasion when women athletes from Qatar and Brunei have competed.

In addition, there is also a sprinter from Afghanistan. "This means a lot for me and my country," said sprinter Tahmina Kohistani. "There were a lot of people who were trying to stop me from training, but I am here. I know winning a medal at the Olympics is very difficult, but I am here to open a new way for the women of Afghanistan because in my society there is no sport for females."

Kohistani also said that as a flag-bearer for women's sport in her country, she has support from other girls. "I think there are a lot of girls who are praying for me. When I go back home, I'm going to tell all the girls to come and follow me," she said.

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Journalists from the Arab world have, however, reported about these path-breakers very cautiously. In countries such as Brunei and Saudi Arabia, everything is monitored and they do not want to sound too excited.

One journalist not wanting to be identified told Mail Today, "In Saudi Arabia, women do not have so many rights. Participation in the Olympics is fine but when they go back, they face the same kind of restrictions. To imagine that one race or one judo bout is going to change their lives is laughable."

According to Animul Islam, a Qatar-based journalist, "The Arab culture has become a little open about women's participation in sports. At least, that's what is seen in Qatar. But while Qatar has been a little moderate, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are a bit hesitant. There are lot of talented women sportspersons in the Gulf. Only a broader outlook by these nations will be a boost to women's participation."