Israeli-born Ghanaian sprinter Blessing Akwasi Afrifah is making headlines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, representing Israel on the global stage.
Afrifah’s path to the Olympics is unique. Born and raised in Tel Aviv, he is the child of Ghanaian Akan immigrants who moved to Israel a decade before his birth.
His father worked at the Ghanaian embassy, and his mother worked as a cleaner.
Despite being born and raised in Israel, Blessing Akwasi Afrifah had a tough time getting Israeli citizenship.
In a 2022 interview with Haaretz, he said he felt like a foreigner in his own country because of his parents’ background. He felt that without citizenship, he wasn’t seen as truly Israeli.
After a long fight, including surviving a deportation attempt in 2010 and appealing to the government, Afrifah finally received Israeli citizenship in 2020. He also served in the Israel Defense Forces in 2022.
The 20-year-old sprinter has rapidly advanced in his career, becoming the first Israeli to win a gold medal at the U-23 European Championship in 2023. He also holds the Israeli national record for the 200m with a time of 20.95 seconds.
His sister, Mercy Afrifah, is also a talented sprinter who competes in the 100m and 200m events.
