Follow the latest news on the 2024 Paris Olympics
Martial arts is one of the most difficult sports to follow as it involves exceptional physical fitness and high degree of mental discipline.
Physical and mental fortitude are qualities that are instilled in Adnan Khankan who will be competing as part of the Refugee Olympic Team at the Paris Games which begin in a week's time.
The judoka will be representing the dreams of millions of refugees impacted by war and unrest. Khankan, 30, saw his life turned upside down when he was forced to flee war-torn Syria in 2015.
As civil unrest spread across Damascus, Khankan made the decision to leave behind his loved ones at the age of 21, beginning a month-long journey towards Europe, travelling by foot and any transportation he could find.
He landed in Germany and started a new life from scratch.
“I always tried not to leave my country because it’s a very difficult situation, you lose your family, your dream,” Khankan told Olympics.com.
“During this time, I had no idea what might happen but luckily we arrived in Germany in October.
“I said: ‘Okay, my journey is over. I’m in a safe place. But what am I doing here now?’ - that was even worse than the journey.”
He had almost nothing to fall back upon, except judo. It was a sport he had adored since childhood after his father introduced him to it.
“Judo is a very special sport that comes from Japan and has a lot of values in it,” he said.
“I must always have respect, be courageous and self-confident – I’ve always liked things like that.
“I always noticed [I was] different to others at a young age, I have discipline and I always have a goal to achieve, to think about what the future holds.”
And as fate would have it, judo is what provided him a way out in his new life as a refugee in Germany when he watched the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics in 2016.
“I knew people who were on the Olympic Refugee Team back then. I met them and I know them,” he said.
“They were in our sports centre. I cried - you can ask my wife - I cried non-stop because, without this situation [fleeing war], I would probably have had the chance to be in Rio.”
Thereafter, Khankan decided to chart his way forward in judo. He restarted his training and was awarded an IOC Refugee Athlete Scholarship in 2022. Soon, he was selected for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for Paris.
Khankan has another source of inspiration fueling his dream - boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who defied orders to join the military by the US government.
“He was someone who stood up and said ‘no.’ To have that sort of strength was something that inspired me,” Khankan told CNN.
The judoka knows that competing at the Paris Games is a matter of great pride, but that is not the end of the road for him.
“Depending on my result, I would like to train a little harder until Los Angeles 2028 and continue to train hard, take part again and get better results.
“I want to enjoy every second of it because after my situation, my journey, everything I have suffered in my life… I am a winner right now."
And above all, he wants to help remove the stigma that has been attached to refugees across Europe, especially this year.
“I would like to - in Germany or Europe in general - change the refugee stereotype,” he said.
“Through sport and judo, I want to help people who have problems here, for example, someone like me or others who are on the street or seeking asylum. There is always a way to help.”
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
