Born and raised in the Chilean capital Santiago, Jorge Antonio Salhe has never set foot in Palestine, the country he represented in skeet shooting at the Paris Games, but distance has only made the heart grow fonder and more anguished for the first Palestinian shooter to appear at the Olympic Games, Reuters reports.

Salhe did not make the final of the men’s skeet event but just being able to compete at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre gave him a sense of fulfilment. “I feel very happy and proud to represent Palestine,” the 49-year-old told Reuters. “It’s a historic occasion to represent Palestine in Olympic shooting.”

Salhe’s mother was born in Bethlehem and her family emigrated to Chile when she was four. His father was born in the South American country, which has the largest Palestinian community outside the Middle East.

“It is impossible to leave aside the pain and suffering that my country is experiencing,” he said referring to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. “Due to the situation that Palestine has been experiencing for a long time, it is impossible to dedicate myself 100 per cent to my sport.”

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