The gold medal that Saudi champion Thamer Al-Zahrani wore around his neck in the “5th Asian Paralympic Games - Nagoya 2026” was not just a new athlete’s coronation, but rather its luster carried a poignant human story, revealed by a few words that came out of the heart of a player who found himself between the joy of achievement and concern for his mother’s health.
After achieving first place in the 400-meter race in the T37 category, with a time of 55.74 seconds, Al-Zahrani stood in front of the cameras trying to express his joy, recalling the names of those who supported his career, before his feelings led him to talk about his mother, in a moment in which the happiness of victory was mixed with feelings that he could not complete with words.
The Saudi champion began his speech by thanking the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, before expressing his gratitude to everyone who trusted his abilities and supported him in his sporting career.
Al-Zahrani said: “Thank you to all the people who trusted my success and supported me. Thank you to everyone who trusted me. I achieved first place and a gold medal, and your prayers are for my mother.”
When the conversation reached his mother, words were not enough to complete what he wanted to say, contenting himself with a phrase that carried a lot of emotions: “My mother is in the hospital... but because of Saudi Arabia, everything is easier.”
That moment was enough to transform the coronation scene from a sporting occasion into a human story, after the player revealed, without going into details, his concern for his mother’s health condition, asking everyone to pray for her.
Al-Zahrani’s words did not pass without reaction, as Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, directed to follow up on the health condition of the athlete’s mother, after seeing his poignant statement, in a step that reflected interest in the humanitarian aspect of athletes in addition to their achievements within the fields of competition.
The story of the Saudi hero received interaction on social media platforms, where the “Team Saudi Arabia” account published a message of solidarity with him, which stated: “Behind every hero is a story... and behind every achievement are feelings that cannot be told in words,” before adding: “Our hearts are with you and with your mother... We ask God for her speedy recovery and full health and wellness.”
While the results of the race recorded Al-Zahrani winning first place, his statement after the coronation contained another aspect of his experience, away from the numbers and medals, after the extent of the connection between his sporting ambition and his feelings towards his family became apparent.
The player did not reveal the nature of his mother’s health condition or its details, but his request to pray for her, and his stopping to continue his speech, made those moments one of the remarkable humanitarian scenes in Saudi participation.
Saad Al-Mousa, Al-Ittihad player, rejected the statements of former team coach Sergio Conceicao regarding the Saudi player’s professionalism, describing them as incorrect, and considered that the local player had become the weakest link to justify the coach’s lack of success.
Al-Mousa said, in an interview with media representatives, after periodically confronting Al-Ittifaq and Al-Ittihad: “Conceição should have been bolder in explaining the actual reasons that led to his lack of success, instead of holding the Saudi player responsible for the failure.”
Al-Mousa confirmed that Saudi football enjoys unprecedented support from Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Minister of Sports.
The Al-Ittihad player added: “The Saudi player is fully aware of the importance of preserving the reputation of Saudi football, and that such statements will not affect the state’s project to develop the local player and qualify him for major benefits.”
Al-Mousa pointed out that the participation of 8 foreign players in the match roster reduced the Saudi player’s participation minutes, but he stressed that this does not justify the lack of professionalism, but rather doubles the responsibility of the local player in maintaining his readiness and exploiting the available opportunities to prove his eligibility for a place in the starting lineup.
The draw for the sixth West Asian Federation U-20 Women’s Championship, which was drawn on Wednesday, placed the Saudi team in the second group alongside the teams of Palestine, the holders of the last edition’s title, and Lebanon, in the tournament hosted by the Jordanian city of Aqaba during the period from November 26 to December 4, 2026.
The tournament witnesses the participation of six teams, divided into two groups, where the first group includes the host teams of Jordan, Iraq and the Emirates, while Saudi Arabia is in the second group alongside Palestine and Lebanon.
The Saudi national team will begin its tournament campaign by facing its Lebanese counterpart on Saturday, November 28, before meeting the Palestinian national team on Monday, the 30 of the same month, at the conclusion of the group stage competitions.
The tournament will start on Thursday, November 26, with a match between Palestine and Lebanon at five in the evening, followed by a match between Jordan and the UAE at eight in the evening, with all matches taking place at Aqaba Stadium.
According to the tournament system, the first and second place finishers from each group qualify for the semi-finals, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, December 2, where the winner of the first group will meet the runner-up of the second, while the winner of the second group will face the runner-up of the first.
The competitions will conclude on Friday, December 4, with a match to determine third and fourth place at five in the evening, followed by the final match at eight in the evening, to determine the champion of the sixth edition of the tournament.
