For a moment, Ahmed Naas thought his life would change — he overcame the odds to not just qualify for the Paralympics, but briefly held a world record, and was eventually awarded a silver medal.
He dreamed of fame in his native Iraq, adulation from his friends and compatriots, and a chance to secure his family’s future. He was a champion and a hero. But then he came home.
“I thought I’d be a king of sport in Iraq, I thought I would live like a king, that I would be a symbol for Iraq,” said the 20-year-old. “But, what I found when I returned was the same old life. Nothing changed.”
Despite combined prize money from various Iraqi government sources of around $33,000, which he has used to purchase a small plot of land, Naas is back to work at his family’s grocery stall, is again training in spartan conditions, and living with his extended family. Naas won over massive crowds at London’s Olympic stadium when, after hurling his javelin 43.27 metres and setting a world record in the F40 category. He was eventually beaten by China’s Wang Zhiming, who shattered Naas’s record to claim gold.
The result, though disappointing, remained impressive considering Naas only took up the javelin full-time earlier this year, and indeed had stopped training completely for a year in 2009 when one coach told him he lacked the athleticism that is required to compete.
He lives with his father, seven brothers and extended family in a small one-storey house. He still trudges to the family’s vegetable stall five days a week, where he works five hours a day, scraping together between $15 and $25 a day between him and three brothers.
“I find it very hard to deal with the fact that, after all my achievements, I had to go back to my old job. I was very proud of myself. I feel like I deserve better than going back to the same work. I go back to the same places to train, the same life. Even when I came back to Iraq, even in the airport, there was no one there waiting for me. You can imagine, I took a taxi from Baghdad to here, alone. No one cared.”
Naas works out on the roof of his family’s home with a small weighted ball gifted to him by a coach and a barbell he has fashioned out of an empty metal pipe connected to two metal cannisters filled with cement. He has no idea how much the barbell weighs but completes multiple sets of lifts before attempting to throw the ball the length of the roof.
Naas then walks for around half an hour, even in Iraq’s boiling summer, on what he calls a training ground, but which is in reality a tract of dirt between a railway track and a main road.
“A champion should not have to go to a stall, to become a grocer. There should be another option.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2012.
COMMENTS (23)
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$33000 seems typo here for sure. I guess writer wanted to write $3000 for sure.
@kfjf: im with u...all the way....
shouldnt we praise his services as he hails from Iraq ?
@to all my dears. this nation does only mean PAKISTAN ?
@Mehboob:
Plz read the article. He hails from Iraq..
@hammad:
Iraq my dear.
Winning doesn't mean people start to benefit you. You get the recognition if companies think the can benefit from your image.
@Mehboob: can u read? he is from iraq
Selling vegetables is not something to be ashamed of. The news caption suggests as if its a crime. By taking a little bit of care towards this, media can play a major role in changing the perceptions of the people.
Read this article: What 36 Olympic Athletes Do for Their Day Jobs
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-36-olympic-athletes-do-for-a-living-2012-8?op=1
Two of the olympic athletes are janitor and trash collector in EU, there is nothing bad working or running your shop. Why Pakistanis get ashamed of working for odd jobs.
The title of your story - "Selling vegetables despite a Paralympics medal" - suggests that there is something demeaning about the work of selling vegetables. Why do you hold this prejudice?
@SurelySure!!: Your Hero??????????
He should be proud of his hard work
at ET: The story should be written in such a manner so as it should reflect "Success" story rather showing sadness! Hats off to our Hero we wish him every success in future. we also expect from our govt to support all such talented people carrying national flag in International arenas!
@hammad:
I hope you have read the story. Can you please clarify what are his services to this nation when he belongs to Iraq ?
He could have spent $33,000 in his shop and change the fate of it.
@kairu:
True. Everyone has to go back to their day jobs after the Olympics.
Unless you win gold at sprinting. For whatever reason sprinting gains a lot of attention. Then Nike or somebody will scoop you up. But even the people who win silver or bronze there probably just go back to whatever it is they normally do. How many people know the names of anybody except Usain Bolt? For that matter how many people know who won the women's gold for sprinting?
$33000. And he is still complaining?
Not a stable guy. There is nothing wrong in selling vegetables.
This could be called a sad story but I imagine most Olympic athletes go home to their same old jobs. Perhaps a few get some endorsement deals but those wont last long.
-Rather than looking at this like it is a sad story it should be seen as a story of humility and inspiration. Just because you have achieved greatness in one part of your life you shouldn't expect to be treated in some exulted manner. Rather it should be a catalyst for you to make great achievements in other areas of your life.
-Second it should show that if a man who lives a humble life and has limited access to training equipment can achieve such victories, what can others do. Your local rec-centre defiantly has facilities far beyond that of this man, so why not go out and put them to use.
Bro we have not forgotten your services to this nation. Allah will surely reward you much IA.