Paris 2024 Olympics: Refugee judoka Arab Sibghatullah wants to ‘become a hero’
Arab Sibghatullah is motivated by the support of his family.
It was his brother who encouraged him to become a judoka aged eight, but when progress in the sport became impossible due to the political situation in his homeland, he decided to pursue his Olympic dreams from Germany instead.
Despite the distance that now exists between Sibghatullah and his family, their support has never wavered.
“Every day my brother calls me to ask what I am doing, about my training and when my tournaments are,” he told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.
“My brother always tells me: Control your mind, now you are in a good situation, try to have a good programme.”
Ahead of his Olympic debut at Paris 2024, as a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, Sibghatullah discussed his goals and how he hopes to inspire the next generation.
Arab Sibghatullah: I want to be a hero
Sibghatullah's arrival in Germany signalled the start of a new life. With a home of his own and a revitalised commitment to judo, he started to feel ‘relaxed and secure’.
His love of the sport knows no bounds and means everything to him.
“Judo is my life; now I have started judo, I want to do it forever,” Sibghatullah said.
To participate in the Olympics, representing millions of displaced people, is a dream come true for him.
“My dream is to challenge the heroes of the world and fight [against] champions in tournaments,” he said. “My goal is to become a hero.”
That doesn’t just mean becoming a role model for others who may have experienced a similar path to him, but equally for the next generation.
On his advice to those looking to follow in his footsteps, he says:
“I would tell them to be strong like me. Always be strong and follow your goals to become a hero.”
Competition isn’t the only thing that excites him about being in Paris, either. The judoka wants to interact with and learn from the world's best in other sports.
And once the dust settles and the Closing Ceremony concludes, there is little doubt what he will do next.
“After the Olympics, I will continue my judo because this is my life.
“[I want to] start language courses, to learn either German or English - this is very important [to me].”