Jordan makes impressive comeback at Arab Games in Algeria

AMMAN  — The 15th Arab Games wrapped up in Algeria after a 12-year absence with Jordan concluding participation bagging a good tally of medals.

The Kingdom won 64 medals (18 gold, 17 silver and 29 bronze) as Jordan finished 5th overall. Algeria topped the medals table followed by Tunisia, Morocco, and Bahrain.

As Taekwondo, in which Jordan nets the biggest medals was not listed in the games, the swimming team stole the limelight bagging 13 medals, while boxing and fencing won 10 each and karate seven.

Badminton, wresting and judo won four each, gymnastics three, weightlifting two, basketball 3 X3 and athletics won one each, while athletes with disability won one gold and bronze in the shot put and silver in the goalball. The only medal in a team sport was bronze by the women’s volleyball team.

“We are delighted with our achievements at the Arab Games which turned out to be one of our most successful since Jordan hosted the event in 1999. We finished with a haul of 64 medals and ranked fifth among the 22 participating countries,” Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) Secretary General Rana Al Saeed told The Jordan Times.

“The Arab Games were held at an ideal time with the Paris Olympic Games just a year away. It has given us all the chance to see how well prepared our athletes are at this stage, and what needs to be done to support them to reach the 2024 games,” Saeed underlined, adding “we are so proud of our athletes who continue to be a source of national pride for all Jordanians”.

The newly appointed JOC secretary general added the hard work of athletes, coaches and federations will continue as Jordan prepares for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September.

The Arab world’s biggest sporting event, also known as the Pan-Arab Games, kicked off in Algiers’ Stade du 5 Juillet with the games making a comeback for the first time in 12 years as Algeria hosted athletes from 22 nations competing in the capital as well as the cities of Oran, Constantine, Annaba, and Tipaza.

The Kingdom’s delegation to the games was headed by JOC board member HRH Princess Aya Bint Faisal, president of the Jordan Volleyball Federation. Asia’s boxing champ, Jordan’s two-time Olympian Ahmad Esheish carried the nation’s flag at the opening ceremony.

Jordan’s 132-strong contingent competed in 17 disciplines: athletics, badminton, 3x3 basketball, boxing, fencing, weightlifting, judo, karate, wrestling, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, chess, table tennis, handball, as well as and athletics and goalball for athletes with disability.

The games have now been organised 13 times since the Arab League first contemplated the idea in 1947. They were held in Alexandria in 1953, Beirut 1957, Casablanca 1961, Cairo 1965, Damascus 1976, Rabat 1985, Damascus 1992, Beirut 1997, Amman 1999, Algeria 2004, Cairo 2007, Doha 2011 and Algiers 2023. The Games were cancelled in 2015 and 2019. Women first started competing only at the 6th Games in Rabat in 1985. 

The Kingdom’s first and only gold medal at the Arab Games in a team sport came in Morocco in 1985 when Jordan won the basketball event after defeating Iraq 80-78 in the final.