Taekwondo Olympic medalist Abishag Semberg was left in tears after her defeat to Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Abutaleb within the ladies’s flyweight spherical of 16 in Paris on Wednesday.
Abutaleb, the primary Saudi lady to safe direct Olympic qualification, triumphed with scores of 2-6, 5-4 and 10-0. She sealed her victory with two head kicks and two physique kicks within the decisive third spherical.
Both fighters acquired enthusiastic help from their followers within the stands, with some cheering sections positioned facet by facet.
“I’m very disappointed in myself; this is not where I’m supposed to be. I’m supposed to be much better,” a tearful Semberg, talking in Hebrew, advised reporters.
“I’ve been working my ass off all my life for this.”
Semberg mentioned the defeat was significantly upsetting due to how necessary it was for her to signify Israel on the game’s greatest stage.
“This is one of the most important things for me in my life,” the 22-year-old mentioned. “This is very disappointing for me. This is not my level. My family is here as well; it’s very disappointing.”
Semberg additionally misplaced within the spherical of 16 in Tokyo three years in the past however fought her means by means of the repechage to win bronze, the primary medal received by Israel in taekwondo.
Asked if she may obtain the identical in Paris, she mentioned: “No, I don’t think so.”
Semberg was the one taekwondo athlete from Israel in Paris. The nation has been concerned in battle with the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza since final October.
Saudi Arabia has strongly criticized Israel’s army operations in Gaza, labeling them “inhumane” and accusing Israel of committing “continuous genocidal massacres” in opposition to the Palestinian inhabitants.
Source: www.dailysabah.com