Arab Sibghatullah (born 4 July 2001) is an Afghan
judoka
is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
who competed with the
Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics
The IOC Refugee Olympic Team (, ÉOR) competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. 37 athletes from 11 countries of origin represented the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in 12 sports, with Iran at the 2024 Summer Olymp ...
.
Early life
Arab Sibghatullah was born in
Kunduz,
Afghanistan, on 4 July 2001. Encouraged by his brother, he started practicing
judo at the age of eight in Kunduz, joining their national youth team at the age of nineteen.
In 2021, Sibghatullah was forced to flee the
Taliban in Afghanistan. He travelled mainly by foot through thirteen countries including
Iran,
Turkey,
Greece,
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
, and
Slovenia.
He finally arrived in Germany in November 2022, where he was given
aslyum.
Life in Germany
Upon arriving in Germany, Sibghatullah was placed in a refugee center in
Kamen, where he learned of a judo club with a coach who could speak
Persian.
Sibghatullah practices judo with the 1. Judo-Club in
Mönchengladbach and at a training camp in
Cologne.
He placed seventh in the Madrid European Open on 10 June 2023.
Summer 2024 Olympics
On 2 May 2024, Sibghatullah was announced as a member of the
Refugee Olympic Team
The Refugee Olympic Team is a group made up of independent Olympic participants who are refugees. In March 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach announced the creation of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team, as a s ...
for
its participation in the 2024 Summer Olympics, particularly in the
Men's 81 kg event. On 30 July, he was eliminated in the round of 32 in a match against
Matthias Casse, which he lost with a score of 11–1.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sibghatullah, Arab
Living people
2001 births
Refugees in Germany
Afghan refugees
Afghan male judoka
Afghan emigrants to Germany
Judoka at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics
21st-century Afghan sportsmen
Sportspeople of Afghan descent