Kuwait send a woman to Olympics for first time

Kuwait City - For the first time since it started competing in the Olympics in 1968, this conservative Muslim emirate is sending a female competitor to the games - 16-year-old sprinter Dana al-Nassrallah.

In the true spirit of the Olympics, al-Nassrallah is happy just to compete, knowing her best time of 13.1 seconds in the 100 metres is far off the medal pace. Others see her trip to Athens as an important start for Kuwaiti women who have been fighting for a larger role in many spheres.

"We need more than one girl, and we need (government) support for women in sports," said Nabeela al-Anjari, a senior member of al-Nassrallah's sports club Al-Fatat, which is known for campaigning for women's rights.

Al-Fatat organised trials in May for its members and students from schools around the country. When al-Nassrallah won, Al-Fatat nominated her for a place on the national team, which was approved by Kuwait's Olympic Committee.

For more than a decade, Kuwait has been gripped by a struggle between its politically strong Muslim fundamentalists who believe women should stay at home and look after their families, and Westernised liberals calling for more openness and civil rights.

Although Kuwaiti women have reached high government posts, a 42-year-old elections law restricts the right to vote and run for office to men. Attempts to amend the law in Parliament have so far been blocked by tribal conservatives and religious extremists.

Al-Nassrallah is concentrating on her start and stride, not the political implications of being the first Kuwaiti female Olympian.

"The start, this is what I struggle on," she said shyly in an American accent acquired at her American high school here and during long visits to the United States.

She has had a professional sprint coach for only the last four months. But she says she's enjoyed running since she "was little," and the supervisor at her sports club, Abeer Abbas, calls her a "diligent" worker.

"She has improved a lot. I'm sure she would go below 13 when she runs with others," Abbas said.

The top three US women to qualify for Athens ran the 100 in 11.10 seconds or less.

Al-Nassrallah trains for up to two hours five times a week, in the afternoon when summer temperatures reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit), and when the air feels like it is coming out of a hair dryer.

"It is not hot when the sun goes down," al-Nassrallah said. "It doesn't bother me."

"I find it exciting, I just get nervous a bit ... because I will be competing against people who have been training for years," she said, wearing a long grey T-shirt and tights that reached below the knee, her long black hair tied back.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin