Israeli-born Ghanaian sprinter Blessing Akwasi Afrifah is capturing global attention at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, proudly representing Israel on the world stage.
Afrifah’s path to the Olympics has been anything but conventional. Born and raised in Tel Aviv to Ghanaian Akan immigrants, Afrifah’s early life was marked by significant challenges.
His father worked at the Ghanaian embassy, while his mother was a cleaner. Despite his deep ties to Israel, Afrifah faced considerable obstacles in securing Israeli citizenship.
In a 2022 interview with Haaretz, Afrifah voiced his frustrations about his status in Israel. “People here in Israel made me ‘not an Israeli’ because my parents came from somewhere else,” he said.
“The minute you have citizenship, then you are considered Israeli, but if you don’t have it, you are not part of the ‘Israeliness’.”
Afrifah’s struggle for citizenship included a deportation attempt in 2010 and multiple appeals to the government. His persistence paid off in 2020 when he finally received Israeli citizenship. Shortly after, he served in the Israel Defense Forces in 2022.
At just 20 years old, Afrifah has made a remarkable ascent in athletics. He became the first Israeli to win a gold medal at the U-23 European Championship in 2023 and set the Israeli national record for the 200 meters with a time of 20.95 seconds.
Afrifah’s achievements are further complemented by those of his sister, Mercy Afrifah, a talented sprinter who competes in the 100m and 200m events.
As Afrifah makes his mark at the Paris Olympics, his journey reflects a powerful story of resilience and triumph against the odds.
