Nagham Abu Samra
Nagham Abu Samra | |
|---|---|
نغم أبو سمرة | |
 | |
| Born | 1999 or 2000 |
| Died | (aged 24) |
| Cause of death | Israeli airstrike |
| Education | Bachelor's and Master's in Physical Education from Al-Aqsa University |
| Occupation | karateka |
Nagham Abu Samra (Arabic: نغم أبو سمرة; 1999 or 2000[1] – 12 January 2024) was a Palestinian karate champion who opened a sports training club for girls in Gaza. Considered a Palestinian sports icon, she was expected to represent Palestine in the 2024 Summer Olympics but was killed by an Israeli airstrike during the Israel–Hamas war.
Life
[edit]Early life and karate career
[edit]Abu Samra was from the Nuseirat refugee camp.[2] She began learning karate as a child, eventually attaining a black belt.[1][3][4] Although she was criticized by some people in her community for participating in a sport they considered to be off-limits for girls, her father supported her interest in karate.[5][3][4]
Abu Samra competed several times at the Palestine Karate Championship, placing first in 2019.[1][5][3] She obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in Physical Education at Al-Aqsa University.[1][6] In 2021, she started a sports training club for girls.[2][1][7] Abu Samra advocated for girls to participate in sports,[1][4] stating: "I wanted every girl to feel her strength from within, not from those surrounding her."[5] According to her father, she wanted to "inspire generations of girls to play karate".[8] Considered a Palestinian sports icon,[1][9] Abu Samra was expected to represent Palestine in the 2024 Summer Olympics.[1][10]
Her mother died of cancer shortly before the Israel–Hamas war began in 2023.[8][3]
Death
[edit]On 17 or 18 December 2023, the Israeli military launched an airstrike on Nuseirat refugee camp that hit Abu Samra's home,[3][11] killing her sister Roseanne.[1][2] Abu Samra sustained serious injuries in the attack; she arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in a coma and having lost her right leg.[1][12] Due to Israeli attacks on the healthcare system and the shortage of medical supplies and other resources, hospitals in Gaza have limited capacity.[1][13] [11]Additionally, her family feared an Israeli airstrike would hit the hospital.[3] Unable to adequately treat her severe injuries, the hospital attempted to obtain a permit to evacuate her.[1][13] Her father made appeals via news media and social media requesting international assistance in transferring her for medical care.[12][11][14] He told Sky News: "I am ruined. Nagham is my life and my spirit".[8]
After several weeks, Abu Samra was granted a medical permit and transferred to a hospital in El-Arish, Egypt, arriving January 7.[1][13] Her father, who travelled with her, said that Abu Samra almost died on the journey due to issues with her ventilator.[13] Around that time, the Israeli military started attacking the Al-Aqsa hospital that had treated Abu Samra in Gaza.[13] A few days after reaching Egypt, she died.[12][15]
After Abu Samra's death, an Al-Aqsa Hospital official stated that her permit to evacuate had been granted "too late".[1] Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestine Olympic Committee, called her death a loss for Palestinian sports.[1] Abu Samra has been mentioned in several news articles about Palestinian athletes killed by Israel in the Israel–Hamas war.[16][9][10][17] As of May 2024, it was estimated that between 243-300 Palestinian athletes had been killed since the war began.[16][10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Abed, Abubaker (2024-02-27). "Nagham Abu Samra: Palestine karate champion, victim of Israel's war on Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ a b c Zbeedat, Nagham (2024-08-15). "A Poet, a Karate Champion, a Famed Artist: The Life Stories of 40 of the 40,000 Killed in Gaza". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2024-08-15.
- ^ a b c d e f AlTaher, Nada (2023-12-26). "Female Gazan karate champion loses leg in Israeli strike". The National. Archived from the original on 2023-12-26. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ a b c "نغم ... "بحزامٍ أسود" تحدت عادات المجتمع". Snd News Agency (in Arabic). 2019-08-17. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ a b c Harouda, Ameera (2021-04-15). "Nagham Abu Samra: Karate Champion". Ted in Arabic. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ AqsaUniversity (جامعة الأقصى) (2018-04-02). قصة نجاح : الطالبة نغم أبو سمرة. Retrieved 2025-01-18 – via YouTube.
- ^ الربايعة, سهاد (2021-04-24). "شعلة الرياضة النسوية في غزة تشتعل من جديد". Al-Haya.
- ^ a b c "Nagham Abu Samrah: Gaza karate champion dies after being injured in missile strike". Sky News. 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ a b Samaha, Albert (2024-07-24). "He's 18, a taekwondo prodigy — and Palestine's best medal hope". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2024-07-29.
- ^ a b c Abed, Abubaker (2024-05-07). "'I've been robbed of my dreams': the sporting tragedy of the war in Gaza". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2024-09-23. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ a b c "Sports groups urged to save Palestine karate champion's life". Middle East Monitor. 2024-01-10.
- ^ a b c "'Most beautiful karate player': Gaza female athlete dies after losing leg due to Israeli airstrike". Arab News Japan. 2024-01-12. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ a b c d e AlTaher, Nada (2024-01-09). "Gaza karate champion who lost leg in Israeli strike transferred to Egypt". The National. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- ^ "نغم أبو سمرة.. بطلة الكاراتيه الفلسطينية فقدت ساقها وتصارع الموت بالمستشفى في غزة". BBC News عربي (in Arabic). 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ AlTaher, Nada (2024-01-12). "Gaza karate champion hit by Israeli strike dies in Egypt hospital". The National. Archived from the original on 2024-04-13. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- ^ a b Serhan, Yasmeen (2024-07-18). "The IOC Wants the Olympics to Be Apolitical. That's Impossible". TIME. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ Ali, Rabia (2024-07-26). "Gaza's athletes caught between Olympic dreams and Israeli bombs on cusp of Paris 2024". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
