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Tareq Oozah gave my hand a warm clasp. His large, warm hand swallowed up my smaller one. Qozah, 22, is one of the only 17 Special Olympics Palestine athletes competing in the 2007 World Summer Games. He is big, around six feet four inches tall, and, of course, he is strong too. “He is really big and strong, so he is well suited for the shot put,” said Oozah's coach, Thaer Al Daraghima. In fact, Ooza put the shot 9.28 meters in the 10 October final, earning a silver medal.
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Oozah Tareq (right) and his coach Thaer Al Daraghima (left) hand-in-hand work together for salam
| Oozah does not talk much, so his coach tells Oozah's story. “Although there is an active Special Olympics Program in our country, Oozah only joined Special Olympics recently, and had not practiced any sports before,” explained the coach. Just four months before the 2007 World Summer Games held, Al Daraghima, who has 20 years of sports experience, including training people with intellectual disabilities, began working with Oozah, exercising, training and preparing for the World Games.
Now the coach and the athlete have a very close relationship, like a father and son, says Al Daraghima. “Tareq often comes to my house and enters my room just to say that he wants me to be his coach. He wants to play sport and join Special Olympics!”
There's no doubt that Oozah is big and strong. Yet, he is warm and friendly. “He loves drawing so much. He loves making friends, and he is very humorous,” explained the coach. “Oozah enjoys being here. He can feel peace here,” said Al Daraghima. The coach also added that he could not say nothing but thank you for Special Olympics as providing such opportunities.
Oozah's greatest dream is for peace. Having been shot in his conflict-torn country has left him not only with a permanent injury to his leg, but also with a deep longing for peace. Closing the interview, I asked to take his picture. He nodded, smiled, hugged me, and kissed my head two times. I had no words to say but “Salam!”
By J.D. Mulyanto
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