The only Olympic gymnast (2008) from Yemen, Nashwan al-Harazi, now coaching at Seattle Gymnastics Academy, is heading back to his homeland for a visit.
Conditions are not good:
Gaar Adams, a freelance writer based in Abu Dhabi:
… “There is no money,” says Ali al-Harazi, Nashwan’s brother who serves as a coach for the Yemen Gymnastics Federation. Crumpled pictures of ousted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh still sit in the corners of the gym, a reminder of the past year’s turmoil. The Yemeni government, which used to supply funding through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has not been able to provide the kind of financial support needed to run the gym. Amid the tumult of 2011’s Arab Spring, the sport of gymnastics was, understandably enough, not deemed a top priority. …
read more … Pommel Horses and Protestors
Best wishes for everyone in Yemen.
Thanks Brigid.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 