Their embrace moved viewers during the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Alaa Maso and Mohamed Maso, two Syrian brothers, hugged each other for a long time, Friday, July 23, in the Tokyo stadium.
“I can't describe how I'm feeling right now,” Mohamed wrote on his Instagram account.
They both participate in the Olympics but under a different banner.
Alaa is a swimmer and part of the refugee team, while Mohamed, a triathlete, competes for Syria.
The two athletes from Aleppo had not seen each other for eight months due to their preparation for the competition.
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A post shared by Mohamad Maso (@momasotri)
As the official website of the International Olympic Committee tells it, sport is a family affair for the Maso. Their father was a swimming coach. Alaa started lengths at the age of four. "Thanks to sport, I was able to detach myself from a lot of negative things and gain confidence in my personal life during training. Because the harder I trained, the better I was. And that's how I was. try to build my life: stay positive, creative and healthy to wait for the sun to rise above us, "he told the IOC website.
But when war breaks out in Syria, his passion is compromised.
He can no longer train.
In October 2015, he finally decided to leave the country with his older brother Mohamed.
"The situation always got worse and never got better," he told Olympics.com.
Refugee team
According to the Dutch site RTL Nieuws, one now resides in Hanover, Germany, while the other trains in the Netherlands.
According to CNN, Alaa wrote to the Syrian National Federation to participate in international competitions under the colors of his home country, but he has received no response.
He then decided to apply to join the Olympic Games refugee team, which includes 29 athletes with unusual backgrounds.
The athletes of this team like no other benefit from a scholarship and parade behind the Olympic flag.
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A post shared by Maso072 (@_alaamaso)
Of the 29 lucky winners, nine are from Syria, five from Iran, four from South Sudan, three from Afghanistan and two from Eritrea. The team also includes one refugee from each of the following countries: Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Sudan and Venezuela. Athletes compete in 12 sports. Six of the 29 were already present in Rio, including the Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini. Some have already stood out. Kimia Alizadeh, who fled Iran to seek refuge in Germany in 2020, won a bronze medal in Rio in taekwondo.
For his part, Mohamed Maso participates in the competition for his country of origin.
A decision that earned him some criticism.
"Those who love the Assad regime should live there, and not in Europe," Omar Abu Layla, founder of the Deir Ezzor 24 news site, responded on Twitter after the ceremony.
2/2:
Who love Assad regime should live with it, not in Europe.
Why don't you represent Assad regime from Damascus, not from Germany ?!
- Omar Abu Layla (@ OALD24) July 23, 2021
Syria has a total of six athletes in Tokyo, including a young table tennis player, Hend Zara.
At 12, she is the youngest participant in these Games.
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