Khaberni - The hero Abdel Karim Khatib inscribed a new historic achievement for Jordanian sports, after being crowned gold medalist on Thursday at the Paralympic World Weightlifting Championships held in Egypt's new administrative capital, following an outstanding performance in the under 97 kg category, lifting 240 kg and significantly outperforming his nearest competitors to rightfully ascend to the top of the world.
Khatib's brilliance came as a result of high readiness and great confidence, having dominated the competition from the first lift, securing his place among the global elite of the sport and cementing his name as one of the most prominent champions in the history of Jordan’s Paralympic weightlifting.
With Khatib's gold, the national team's tally has increased to three medals, after Omar Qarada won a silver in the 49 kg category following a heroic performance and thrilling competition until the final moments, where he managed to lift 176 kg in the first attempt, and 178 kg in the second, before stumbling at 180 kg in the third attempt, finishing second by just one kilogram behind the Turkish champion.
The champion Asmaa Shakri also won a bronze in the 79 kg category after successfully lifting 136 kg on her third attempt, awarding Jordan its first women's medal in the championship.
Dr. Omar Hindawi, the head of the Jordanian Paralympic Committee, stated that “Abdel Karim Khatib's gold represents the culmination of a journey of dedication and commitment. He confirmed that Jordanian Paralympic sports are moving confidently towards international recognition, what our champions achieve today is the fruit of continuous institutional support, substantial technical and administrative efforts, and a significant boost on the path to qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”
For his part, the champion Abdel Karim Khatib said after his gold win: “Praise be to Allah who granted me success in raising the flag of Jordan at the top of the world. This medal is the fruit of years of effort and significant support from the Paralympic Committee and the technical staff, and winning by a wide margin over the competitors gives me greater motivation to continue working and achieving more accomplishments on the way to Los Angeles 2028.”
The national Paralympic weightlifting team concludes its participation in the championship tomorrow, Friday, where the champion Jameel Al-Shibli and the champion Tharwat Al-Hajjaj are expected to appear in the final competitions, amid high hopes of adding more achievements and enhancing Jordan's tally at this major global event.
The championship features the participation of 1000 athletes from more than 70 countries, and it represents a major milestone within the agenda for qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, amidst strong competitions that reflect the prestigious status of Jordanian Paralympic weightlifting on the global stage.
