Yemenis at Asian Games divided by war, united by sport
HANGZHOU, China: One delivered gas cylinders in government-run Aden for a living and the other cooked meals in Houthi-held Sanaa. Now the two athletes from war-torn Yemen find themselves on the same team at the Asian Games. Yemen has been in the grip of a war since 2014 pitting forces loyal to the internationally recognized government against the Iran-backed Houthis. The conflict has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. The Yemeni team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China is the only sign of the country’s unity, according to delegation chief Abdel Sattar Al-Hamadani. “We marched behind a single banner at the opening of the Games,” Hamadani told AFP. “Sport has paid a heavy price for the war,” added Hamadani, who heads the Yemeni Basketball Association, pointing out the absence of any material support, apart from that provided by the International Olympic Committee and Asian bodies. Said Al-Khodr, a judo fighter from Aden, worked in the morning and trained in the afternoon to make the Games team. “The love of sport runs through my veins and I toil from dawn until 3:00 p.m.
