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Syria eyes Olympic success in Tokyo despite huge challenges
Issued on:
18/07/2021 - 07:07 Syrian high jumper Majd Eddin Ghazal, pictured training in Damasus, will compete in his fourth Olympics in Tokyo LOUAI BESHARA AFP 3 min
Damascus (AFP)
Syria is aiming to secure the war-battered country s fourth-ever Olympic medal in Tokyo, but one of its few world-class athletes is less optimistic after struggling to access coaching and facilities for the past four years.
The decade-long civil war and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have drained Syria s resources and left elite sport low on the list of priorities.
High jumper Majd Eddin Ghazal, who finished seventh at the 2016 Rio Olympics before winning a bronze medal a year later at the world championships in London, has trained for years under Syrian coach Imad Sarraj, who he hails as one of the best in the country.