Tunis: Tunisian Paralympic champion Raoua Tlili, gold medallist in shot put (F41) at the Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships in Japan (May 17-25), said Tunisian athletes had managed to rise to the responsibility falling on their shoulders and honour their country in spite of the lack of preparation.
Tlili said in an interview with TAP the primary objective of the Tunisian participation in the world championships had been to stand atop the podium and snatch the highest possible number of medals.
All of the medals taken by Tunisian athletes -gold, silver or bronze – have a symbolic importance for Tunisian sports and Paralympism.
The members of the national team had been afftected by a World Anti-Doping Agency ban on displaying the national flag at major sporting events before the start of the championships. This decision, she said, had “strengthened our determination to chart a way to the podium” and “our main concern was to hear the national anthem in Japan.”
Raoua Tlili also said “slipping from t
he 7th spot in the medal table at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships to 11th at the Kobe edition profoundly impacted the national team,” calling for the need to deploy further efforts and learn from mistakes.
Beyond performances, Tlili said, she and other veteran athletes, including Walid Ktila, had played a key role in monitoring and encouraging younger athletes who aspire to a distinguished continental and international career.
The champion praised the President of the Republic for the
continous encouragement to Para athletes.
World Paralympic champion and Kobe gold medallist in 1500m (T38) Amenallah Tissaoui said work and discipline had been the key to success in these championships.
Tissaoui, 19, who established a new world record in his first participation, told TAP he eyes gold in Paris 2024 Paralympics.
President of the Tunisian Federation of Sports for People with Disabilities Chamseddine Gammoudi said the national team had anew managed to take up challenges with 17 medals (4 gold
, 6 silver and 7 bronze).
These results scored are “positive” and “encouraging” in the runup to the coming events, especially the Paris Paralympics.
Kobe championships had been a milestone in the preparation for Para athletes, he added. The next stage requires better warmup conditions, notably training camps in Europe to attain the goals sought and enhance the position of Tunisian Paralympism in the world.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse