One month to go to Paris 2024: Elghobashy and Laklalech seal Olympic berths

In exactly one month’s time, the Olympic flame will be lit by the Seine in front of the Trocadero, marking the start of the Paris 2024 Games.

As the final countdown begins, Arab and Mena athletes continue to book their spots at the Olympics, with some heading to the quadrennial extravaganza for the first time and others returning to the Games after a lengthy absence.

Here’s the latest on all things Mena athletes at the Paris Olympics.

In Rio 2016, Egyptian duo Doaa Elghobashy and Nada Meawad became the first Arab women to compete in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games.

After missing out on Tokyo 2020, Elghobashy has once again secured a place at the Olympics, this time alongside Marwa Magdy, thanks to their triumph at the African Volleyball Confederation Continental Cup on Sunday in Morocco.

Elghobashy and Magdy defeated Nigerians Pamela Bawa and Esther Mbah 15-21, 21-16, 15-8 to punch their tickets to Paris, which will host the beach volleyball tournament at Parc du Champ de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

A post shared by Doaa Tawfeek (@doaaelghobashy)

The Moroccan tandem of Mohamed Abicha and Zouheir Elgraoui clinched the men’s continental title to return to the Olympics for second straight edition with a 21-18, 21-12 victory over Mozambique’s Jose Mondlane and Osvaldo Mungoi.

Qatar’s Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse, who won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, qualified via their Olympic ranking, where they currently stand at No 12.

Over in the Spanish capital last Friday, at Meeting Madrid, a Continental Tour Silver event, Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed Daouda Tolo set a new Asian record in shot put, throwing 21.80m to hit a new PB and qualify for the Paris Olympics.

A silver medallist at the Asian Games in