Gold at the youth karate world championship, and at 21 he is an idol of Palestine

21-year-old Mariam Bsharat has become a star among the Palestinians, winning the gold medal at the youth karate world championships in Jesolo, Veneto last Saturday. This is the first world championship success for a representative of Palestine in a competition of this level. “A Palestinian ‘Kick ass’ wins gold”, headlined the Middle East Monitor website, alluding to the nickname inspired by a US comic miniseries and the 2010 film.

Born in Nablus, in the West Bank, Mariam triumphed in the 61 kg Kumite cadet category, beating the Egyptian Roaa Mohamed 2-0 in the final. A podium completed by the Italian Nicole Correddu, beaten by the Palestinian champion in the semi-final with a score of 8-3. Also succumbing to the blows and technique of the young girl from Nablus were the Bosnian Ajlin Kurtanovic, the Swiss Esma Redzic and the Belgian Maissa Sridi. Visibly moved, Mariam dedicated the victory to the Palestinian people. He did not make any statements but pointed several times to the national flag sewn onto his white Karategi. Images that sparked emotion and jubilation on the web, becoming viral among Palestinians and the Arab neo media.

Mariam Bsaharat had also won two major youth tournaments this year, in Manila, Philippines and LaCoruna, Spain. Another Palestinian karate champion, 24-year-old Nagham Abu Samrah, died in January after she was left in a coma and had her leg amputated following injuries sustained in a bombing in the Gaza Strip in mid-December.