Egyptian Woman Set to Be 1st African Hijab Wearing Female Referee in Tokyo Olympics 2021
- An Egyptian national has hit the headlines as the first hijab-wearing female ever to participate in an Olympics as a referee
- Sara Gamal has inspired women in her country as she will also be the first Arab female to adjudicate a basketball match during the Games
- The news, however, left netizens with mixed reactions as some celebrated her milestone while others questioned what the hijab had to do with her qualifications as a referee
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Egyptian woman, Sara Gamal is set to make history as the first hijab-wearing Muslim and African woman to work as a basketball referee during the Tokyo Olympics.
Source: UGC
Sara Gamal makes history
Gamal, a civil engineer in Egypt, will also make history as the first Arab woman to officiate 3x3 basketball, which will be making its debut in Tokyo.
While being interviewed by the BBC, the referee said she has been getting feedback from many female referees in Egypt who keep thanking her for giving them hope that their dreams are valid.
Most of them thought they had no opportunity in huge tournaments other than the ones they referee in their country.
"I tell them you can do better than me. You can achieve all your goals anywhere you want. You have the power to do it," she said during the interview.
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Here are some of the comments from the post:
@thenaturalone1 said:
"I am so here for this! And one day, this won't be news, but just the norm, patiently waiting for that day."
@bruniejm commented:
"What a process for women's rights."
@juniorosvaldonascimento said:
"Good luck, girl! All the best!"
@rock.gray asked:
"So did they pick her because she’s qualified or just because she is wearing a hijab?"
@heizel_solis said:
"Don’t understand why wearing a hijab would prevent her from refereeing a game?"
Bizarre cardboard beds at the Olympics cause a stir online
Earlier, Briefly News reported that an unusual theory on the material used to make beds for athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics has emerged.
It was claimed earlier in the week that this year's edition of the Summer Games will see Olympic participants sleep on flimsy cardboard beds, allegedly to discourage intimacy among the competitors.
The beds, it was claimed, are made in such a way they will break at little provocation, and as such, each bed will be occupied by only a solitary individual.
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Source: Briefly News
