Since the establishment of the Jordanian state in the twenties of the last century, the national sports movement has been active, progressed, and accomplished. This occurred despite various challenges and limited capabilities which did not prevent Jordanian sports from competing and opening doors to the rest of the world with royal support and youthful ambition.
Jordanian athletes have risen to the top of international podiums, most notably Ahmad Abughaush, who won the gold medal in taekwondo competitions at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
This triumph was preceded by the success of athletes with disabilities in raising the Jordanian flag at the Paralympic Games, including Maha Al-Barghouthi, who brought home three medals, one of which was gold.
Maha Al-Barghouthi is the Secretary-General of the Jordan Paralympic Committee and a former Paralympic champion in para table tennis. A champion who refuses to acknowledge disability has made challenges the hallmark of a diverse and successful sporting career.
Al-Barghouthi is a legend in Jordan and the sporting world. She qualified for and competed in five Paralympic Games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016). The disabled athlete was the first to win a gold medal and hoist Jordan's flag at the highest sporting gathering — the Paralympics — held concurrently with the Olympic Games.
In 1995, she won the 200m wheelchair run in Berlin, setting a world record for Jordan. Al-Barghouthi also won Jordan's first gold medal in table tennis singles at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia: "I've always wanted to be the one to carry Jordan's name high in an Olympic event, and thank God, my dream has come true," Al-Barghouthi said at the time of her victory in the wheelchair table tennis competition at the Sydney Paralympics.
To emphasize the significance of her accomplishments, it is worth noting that since 1980, when Jordan first competed in the Olympic Games, the Kingdom's national anthem was first played in Sydney 2000 when Barghouthi won a gold medal in wheelchair table tennis. That honor was only repeated at the 2016 Olympics by Jordanian taekwondo athlete Ahmad Abughaush, who won gold medal in the 68-kilogram category.
Al-Barghouthi was born with polio, but this did not stop her from excelling in sports. At the age of 17, she went to the Jordan Table Tennis Federation, where she was classified as a wheelchair-runner, but she also played table tennis, which she began as a hobby by participating in tournaments but finished as a professional. Al-Barghouthi had won 105 different medals in various international, local, and Arab competitions. She ended her sports career, which began in 1984, after 30 years, with many sporting accomplishments at the international and local levels.
In recalling her own athletic experience with Majalla, Al-Barghouthi stated that sports for those with special needs are not as simple as many believe. "There are special equipment and set-ups that we must follow when practicing and competing, in addition to the need for proper transportation to and from practice," she explained.
Jordan’s most decorated sportswoman told Majalla that her father and mother are her first and last fans, as well as role models, because they have dealt with her in a civilized, conscious, and scientific manner since the beginning of her polio, so that their daughter would not feel any different from her peers.
"When I was born, my parents realized that the sports infrastructure and places in general were not helping or in line with the needs of individuals with disabilities, and there were many deficiencies that hindered my progress," the Jordanian champion explained. "However, they taught me that I must keep pace with those deficiencies with determination, will, science, and sports."
Al-Barghouthi has competed in a number of international competitions and has consistently performed admirably. This aided her qualification for the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney. During competitions, she tied the racket to her hand to keep it from falling and insisted on playing with stronger players than herself.
Al-Barghouthi said of winning Jordan's first gold medal in para table tennis singles at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney: "It was an indescribable feeling of pride that I raised the name of my beloved country Jordan with the raising of the Jordanian flag at Paralympic Sydney 2000, and my personal joy in accomplishing something that no one has ever done before. At that moment, I realized I had etched my name among the cavalcade of distinguished people as a human being and as a disabled athlete," she said.
"My victory was a message to people to learn about handicapped sports and to encourage other families not to discriminate against their handicapped children and instead to encourage their children to participate in sports," Al-Barghouthi added.
Her greatest achievement, however, came during the 1995 Berlin Special Olympics, when she broke the world record in the 200 meter run with a time of 32.26 seconds, which was .08 seconds faster than the previous record: "I worked very hard for the Olympics in 2000 and was determined to win a gold medal, which I did. This demonstrated that people who believe in themselves and their work will achieve good results," Al-Barghouthi said.
Concerning the challenges she faced during her athletic career, Al-Barghouthi stated that she was working to overcome all of them. At both the local and international levels, while travelling for matches and tournaments, she was self-sufficient, as her family had taught her. She travelled alone to America and Canada, which did not pose any problems for her.
" I faced many obstacles at all levels, including discrimination between disabled and non-disabled children when I was a child, and the environment was one of the obstacles due to a lack of facilities for people with disabilities, in addition to the education difficulties and society's view of this group, particularly if it was a girl," Al-Barghouthi said to Majalla.
"Despite this, I did not experience any frustration or hindrance as a result of these obstacles, whether psychological or social. Rather, I became more insistent and challenged everything that stood in my way of climbing the ladder of success," she continued.
Al-Barghouthi emphasized that an individual with a disability should not rely on others or be a dependent person, but rather should learn to rely on themselves as much as possible.
Her outstanding career and gold medal achievements were recognized when she won a gold medal at the 1999 Pan-Arab Games and several world championships. In January 2001, His Majesty King Abdullah bestowed the Al Hussein Medal of the First Order on Al-Barghouthi shortly after she returned to Jordan with the gold medal. Jordan's champion also received similar royal recognition from HRH Prince Ra'ed Bin Zeid, who heads the Jordan Sports Federation for the Handicapped (JSFH).
In speaking of the most significant accomplishments of which Al-Barghouthi is proud: "My receiving many colored medals, the most important of which is the Sydney 2000 gold, and my receiving honorary titles, including actual titles at the sporting and practical level, but the most important title I received was the ‘Secretary-General of the Jordanian Paralympic Committee,’ which is my first home. They supported me and I am proud to return the favor by accepting this position and completing the journey with an honorable path to this great edifice."
"I was also very gratified to receive the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's Centennial Medal of Independence for being the first female Secretary-General. In addition, winning the International Paralympic Federation's Inspirational Women Leaders Award in 2020, not at the Arab level, but at the international level, demonstrates that our voice as people with disabilities is heard loudly," Al-Barghouthi said proudly.
Speaking about the Jordanian Paralympic sport, Al-Barghouthi stated that it has recently and gradually developed, gaining interest and understanding across the spectrum of society as well as good media coverage. By contrast, in its early days nearly 20 years ago, the Jordanian Paralympic sport was unknown, and astonishment filled the faces of the audience. Proponents of the sport were suffering from society's perception of them, as they were attempting to persuade society that such sports can be practiced and played by people with special needs just like any other player.
"Jordanian Paralympic sports, in particular, are constantly evolving and achieving unprecedented feats, the most recent of which was our heroes' winning of four gold and one bronze medals at Paralympic Tokyo 2020," Al-Barghouthi said
"As for the Arab world, it is also in continuous development and prosperity, and proves that Paralympic players are always distinguished in all sporting arenas if they have the opportunity to prove their worth," Al-Barghouthi added.
Jordan’s most decorated sportswoman wanted to send a message to young people, particularly young people with disabilities, at the end of our pleasant meeting saying: "Seek out and try to achieve your dream, no matter how difficult it may be. True disability is the neutralization and frustration of your desire to achieve your goals. The keys to success are perseverance, determination, and faith in one's own abilities."
