Runner Muhammad Dwedar to return to train in Germany after finishing second to last overall in Tokyo.
Three months before the World Athletics Championships, Muhammad Dwedar was training for the 800-metre race on the streets in Jericho, West Bank. His mother would have preferred he stayed indoors, lest he become another Palestinian athlete victim to Israeli raids or killing, but there were no sports facilities to train at, much less the world-class technology his competitors had. All he had was a dream to represent Palestine and put his country on the global sporting map.
It was bittersweet for him when he did just that last week at the Japan National Stadium. He finished last in his heat and second from last overall in 1:53.63. It was faster than what he ran at the Paris Olympics, but for the 24-year-old lone athlete representing Palestine at the championships, it wasn’t enough.
“I am sorry to the people in Palestine, I can do it, just two laps, I know I can do better,” the words tumbled out of Dwedar in between deep pants, beads of sweat materialising on his chest heaving up and down.
The disappointment in his time spoke to a deeper sense of representation and belonging, especially in the context of Israel having killed more than 800 athletes since its war on Gaza.
“I need to send a message to the world,” Dwedar said, the six-odd journalists pushing their microphones close to him.
“The children of Palestine, we have a lot of dreams; we have eyes, we have arms, we have muscles,” he said, choking back tears as the sentence stuck in his throat.
A deep breath later, he resumed his post-race analysis.
“I know I can do 1:46, I know my body is capable of doing that,” Dwedar said. He had been training in Germany for two months prior to the championships, but that was the first time this season he trained on a synthetic rubber track with spikes.
“I need to do better for Palestine,” he said. “I need to improve so I can give Palestine a medal. I need to do that.
“This is very difficult for me but I have two, three years to do it.”
Dwedar’s first shot at redemption will come in November at the Islamic Solidarity Games. After Tokyo, he’ll head back to Jericho to spend time with his family before going back to Germany to train for a few weeks.
“I can leave Palestine for a few years to train abroad. but in the end, I need to go back to Palestine,” he said. ”This is my country, my city.”
Dwedar’s has been running since he was 10 years old, inspired by his older sister.
“I need to compete till the end and deliver, I can’t leave the track. I’ll leave the track when I leave life.”
He recently completed his degree in physical education from Al-Quds University. He has long-term plans for the future, but it’s the short-term he’s unsure about.
“The future? For me? The future, I don’t think in the future, I just think about life day by day.
“When I wake up, I just think about this day because I don’t know if the second day I’ll be alive or not. I’m just thinking how to smile, how to keep going, how to focus on training,” he said.
Israel has killed more than 800 Palestinian athletes since its ongoing genocide in Gaza. Dwedar’s presence at the world championships, and the Olympics last year, was testament to the resilience and tenacity exuded by athletes. He still wants to break a national record, run a personal best sub-1:49 in the 800m, and train at an elite level to win medals for Palestine.
“I need to give what I can to Palestine. I need to help Palestine,” he said.
“My late dad was my biggest supporter; it was his dream that I become a champion, a hero,” Dwedar said, a smile spreading across his face. “Love you Dad, love you Mom,” he said to the cameras.
Back home in Jericho, his friends and family watched his race on TV just hours after the United Nations declared a genocide in Gaza.
“Stop genocide, really, just stop. I need to cry but I can’t,” his voice quivered and eyes went hollow as he responded. “I can’t watch it on TV, on my phone anymore, just stop.”
The dream of becoming one of Palestine’s best athletes will be revisited in November when he competes again, his dream of a free Palestine at the forefront of everything he does.
Header image: Muhammad Dwedar smiles and poses for a photo after the men’s 800m race at the World Athletics Championships at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo on September 17, 2025. — Photo by Anushe Engineer
