Mohammed Hamada, a competitive weightlifter from the Gaza strip in Palestine, has won a Gold Medal in the IWF Junior World Championships.
The 20-year-old won Gold in the Snatch event in the 102-kilo category during the ongoing championships in Athens, Greece.
Hamada finished with the bronze medal in total results which are based on a competitor’s cumulative scores in Snatch combined with Clean and Jerk lifts.
He finished with the best figures of 168-kilos in the Snatch and 193-kilos in the Clean and Jerk totaling 361 kgs.
It was a rear international win for a war-torn country with little to no resources to spare for the sporting needs of its citizens.
Mohammed Hamada had to travel to the United Arab Emirates in January to prepare for the competition, spending a total of 40 days at a training camp in the Gulf nation.
He also underwent training alongside several world champions at the second camp in Russia.
He began his career at the age of 12, taking part in local contests in Gaza.
“I wept. We all did. This is Mohammad’s first world gold medal, a world gold medal for Palestine,” his father, Khamees Hamada, told Reuters in Gaza.
“This is an achievement for every Palestinian. I am proud of my son,” he said, after watching the event with family, friends, and local sports officials.
Last year, Hamada started his trailblazing journey by becoming the first Palestinian weightlifter to take part in the Olympic Games finishing in the seventh place in Tokyo.
“We have lived this victory for weeks and months and we are pleased the training and preparation plan has yielded its fruits today,” said Asad Al-Majdalawi, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee.
