| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 July 2001 Kunduz, Afghanistan |
| Occupation | Judoka |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Judo |
| Weight class | –81 kg |
| Team | Refugee Olympic Team (2024) |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic Games | R32 (2024) |
| World Champ. | R32 (2025) |
| European Champ. | R32 (2023, 2023) |
| Profile at external databases | |
| IJF | 75114 |
| JudoInside.com | 161804 |
| Updated on 16 June 2025 | |
Arab Sibghatullah (born 4 July 2001) is an Afghan judoka who competed with the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Arab Sibghatullah was born in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on 4 July 2001. Encouraged by his brother, he started practicing judo at the age of eight in Kunduz, joining their national youth team at the age of nineteen. [1] [2]
In 2021, Sibghatullah was forced to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan. He travelled 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi) mainly by foot through thirteen countries including Iran, Turkey, Greece, Bosnia, and Slovenia. [3] He finally arrived in Germany in November 2022, where he was given aslyum. [4] [5] [6]
Upon arriving in Germany, Sibghatullah was placed in a refugee center in Kamen, where he learned of a judo club with a coach who could speak Persian. [3]
Sibghatullah practices judo with the 1. Judo-Club in Mönchengladbach and at a training camp in Cologne. [5] He placed seventh in the Madrid European Open on 10 June 2023. [7]
On 2 May 2024, Sibghatullah was announced as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team for its participation in the 2024 Summer Olympics, [8] particularly in the Men's 81 kg event. [9] On 30 July, he was eliminated in the round of 32 in a match against Matthias Casse, which he lost with a score of 11–1. [10]
