GAZA, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Sana Bkheit, the Palestinian athlete and ambassador to the upcoming Olympic Games in Athens, voiced fears on Saturday that she might be unable to compete in Athens due to the Israeli military closures imposed on the Gaza Strip.

    Bkheit, a 19-year-old runner, is due to head to Athens on Tuesday to represent Palestine at the 2004 Olympic Games, while the Israeli Army has been closing the Rafah terminal, located at the southern strip border with Egypt, for over a week.

    Bkheit told reporters that "my passports, my authorizations and visa are all ready but I scared about not being able to leave because of the Israeli military closures imposed on the Rafah terminal."

    She added she might also be denied access to the terminal since the Israeli Army hasn't been allowing any Palestinian aged between16 and 35 to travel.

    Bkheit, however, said that she will hold a message from Palestine to the whole world that she will be there in every way possible, adding that raising the Palestinian flag with other flags at the Olympics will be sufficient.

    Meanwhile, Bkheit's trainer, Samir Nabaheen, said that she has already participated in numerous local and international championships, such as the Asian Championship where she ranked sixth as well as the Arab Championship last year in Cairo, where she was named as the best Palestinian athlete.

    Nabil Mabrouk, head of the Palestinian Unions for Athletics, explained that athletics requires state sponsorship and funding as the training and preparing for a single athlete requires one million US dollars.

    And he also said that Palestinian sports have also been affected by the current political hardships. Enditem