Abtal

In the last episode of the Abtal podcast series, host Reem Abulleil sits down with Egyptian diver Maha Amer as she prepares for her second Olympic Games this summer in Paris.   Amer shares her inspiring journey, from making history as the first Egyptian to win a medal in diving at the World Championships to balancing her academic pursuits with her athletic career.   At just 25 years old, Amer hold...

In this episode of the Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil is joined by Moroccan golfer Ines Laklalech, who is on the brink of securing her place at her first Olympic Games this summer.   Laklalech has made history as the first Moroccan, North African or Arab woman to win a tournament on the Ladies European Tour, a remarkable achievement she accomplished at the Lacoste Ladies Open in Deauville durin...

The Abtal podcast is back with a fresh batch of exciting episodes, featuring three incredible Arab athletes who are on their way to the Olympics. In this episode, host Reem Abulleil is joined by Lebanese trap shooter Ray Bassil, who is gearing up for her fourth consecutive Olympic Games this summer. Bassil, a reigning Asian champion and former world number one, has had an illustrious 20-year caree...

In the eighth episode of the Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil is joined by Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam, who is getting ready to compete in his second Olympics this summer. Boukhiam is the first Moroccan or Arab surfer to qualify for the Championship Tour, which is the highest level of competition in the sport. The 30-year-old from Agadir recently clinched a silver medal at the ISA World Surfin...

In the seventh episode of the Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil is joined by UAE’s first female professional cyclist, Safiya Al Sayegh. A multiple-time national champion and a time trial bronze medallist at the Under 23 Asian Championships, Al Sayegh has made rapid strides in the sport within a very short period of time. In 2022, she signed for Team UAE ADQ to become the first Arab woman to join a...

In the sixth episode of the Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil is joined by Egyptian distance swimmer Marwan El Kamash, who is getting ready to compete in his third Olympic Games this summer. Since he moved to the United States more than 12 years ago to study and swim at the University of South Carolina, El Kamash has gone to extreme lengths to not only sustain, but consistently develop his career...

Abtal podcast series is back after a short break with a new line-up of inspiring Arab athletes and compelling conversations. In the fifth episode, host Reem Abulleil is joined by two athletes this time, Egypt’s first medallist at a Fencing World Championship Ziad El Sissy and his wife, squash superstar Nouran Gohar. A bronze medallist at the World Championships and a Mediterranean Games champion,...

In the fourth episode of the Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil sits down with Egyptian swimming star Farida Osman. A three-time World Championship medallist and African record holder, Osman has overcome many challenges both in and out of the pool to blaze a trail for Arab swimmers across the region. Osman exploded on to the scene as a 16-year-old when she became Egypt’s first junior world swimming...

In the third episode of the Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil is joined by Emirati showjumper Abdullah Al Marri, a popular figure on the equestrian scene in the region and beyond, and a recent individual bronze medallist and team silver medallist at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. A winner of several Grand Prix events, Al Marri was part of a group of showjumpers who made history for the UAE last year...

In the second episode of the Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil is joined by Egyptian table tennis prodigy Hana Goda. Goda, 16, has been making waves in table tennis internationally since she was 11. She was ranked No 1 in the world in the under-15 cadets category when she was only 12. Last year, at the senior level, she became the youngest to win the African Championship at the age of 15. Goda is...

In the first episode of Abtal, host Reem Abulleil is joined by two iconic Arab tennis players, Tunisian Ons Jabeur and Egyptian Mayar Sherif, for their first interview together. Ons is the highest-ranked African woman and Arab player in tennis history and Mayar is the second-highest ranked Arab woman in history and the highest-ranked Egyptian tennis player ever. The conversation features their jou...

Abtal is a new podcast series from The National News, hosted by sports journalist Reem Abulleil, that is dedicated to Arab athletes and their respective journeys towards the Paris 2024 Olympics. In Arabic, the same word is used for both champions and heroes, and that is Abtal. In this series, Reem delves deep into the lives of the region's sporting heroes, focusing on the human behind the athlete,...