Palestine sends one-athlete delegation to Winter Asiad for friendship

Palestine dispatched only one athlete for the 6th Asian Winter Games to be officially opened this evening in Changchun, Northeast China.

Zaher Akram, chef-de-mission of the Palestinian delegation, said here on Sunday that the Middle East country, where few people go in for winter sports, has just sent a skier to compete at the coming Winter Asiad.

"We come here to participate and also for the friendship between the two countries and the hospitality of the Chinese," said Akram at the flag-raising ceremony at the Beidahu ski resort, host of all snow sports of biathlon, Alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboard during the Jan. 28-Feb. 4 Games.

Mohammed Elbatta, an amateur giant slalom skier, is the sole athlete representing Palestine in the sixth Winter Asiad, which attracts all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia for the first time.

"It is my first international competition, I never expect to have a good result, and I just ski and have fun," said a smiling Elbatta, who is studying and training at the Athens University, Greece.

Elbatta, 35, has been absorbed in snow skiing since he was a kid, saying that there were few facilities in Palestine and he just took part in some inter-university events.

The Winter Asiad Alpine skiing competitions, to start on Jan. 31 through to Feb. 3, will feature 72 skiers from 13 countries and regions.

Source: Xinhua