Sports academy in Egypt gives Syrian kids hope
Youngsters who fled war in Syria practise martial arts, aerobics, ballet and gymnastics
When Amir Al Awad fled Syria for Egypt, he intended to cross the Mediterranean for a European country.
But instead, the boyhood Syrian wrestling champion opted against the risky sea journey and found work at a restaurant in Alexandria, where he was introduced to the city’s Syrian community.
Together they established the Syrian Sports Academy, and he replaced his dream of an Olympic medal with a goal to “create champions from the young refugees” from his country, says Al Awad.
This was “so that one day they will be able to raise their flag as we have in the past after they return to Syria,” says the 34-year-old.
The academy is squeezed into just 30 square metres, in a modestly equipped hall at the bottom of a residential building in the Alexandria neighbourhood of Khalid Bin Al Waleed. Inside, Syrian children ages seven to 10 dressed in T-shirts and jeans form a line after arriving at the end of a school day. “Let’s go, guys, so you have enough time to study,” Al Awad yells in encouragement, as he moves on to coaching them wrestling.
With a small administrative office, and the lone training hall, Syrian youngsters practise martial arts, aerobics, and gymnastics.
In addition, the academy organises football tournaments, especially for Arab and African refugees in the city.
On its ageing walls hang pictures of international martial arts and weightlifting champions.
The academy’s founders began the project in 2016 with just 3,000 Egyptian pounds ($430 or Dh1,578 at the time).
The financing came from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which provided 25 per cent used to buy equipment, and the rest from the Caritas humanitarian group.
“We prepared the training hall step by step, including paint and design,” says Awad.
“We’re keen to teach the children sports ethics: to learn how to win and how to lose, which helps them in their life, instead of giving in to a bad lifestyle,” he says. ballet,