Mohamed Jamal Hamdan: Rising Syrian talent in high jump

As part of its support and nurturing of young sporting talents, Amer Al-Sheikh, Governor of Damascus countryside, on Tuesday, honored Mohamed-Nour Jamal Hamdan, winner of first place in the high jump at the governorate level, in recognition of his outstanding achievement of setting a new Syrian record in the high jump competition for the under-15 age group.

Hamdan, who is originally of the desert city of Dumair, he did not spend his childhood there. Due to the war, his family was forced to flee and seek refuge in Turkey, where he spent his formative years as a refugee. He is the son of a Syrian officer who defected from the regime at the beginning of the revolution.

In Mardin, Hamdan, like most of his peers, lived in harsh humanitarian conditions, far from sports fields and academies. But he discovered his love for sports there, racing with the children of the impoverished neighborhood where his family lived. He had no proper athletic shoes, no coach, no resources—just boundless passion.

With the fall of the regime in December 2014 and the relative stabilization of the situation, Mohammad Nour's family returned to Syria. Here, for the first time, he found the opportunity to train in a somewhat structured way. He joined a local club and met coaches who saw in him a natural talent that simply needed nurturing.

This recognition, while highly symbolic, cannot replace a comprehensive strategy for developing young talent. This strategy should include establishing a training center in rural Damascus equipped with state-of-the-art high jump equipment, providing scholarships and sports grants for athletes like Mohammad Nour to ensure the continuation of their education and training, and connecting Syrian talent with international federations to benefit from training exchange programs.

Hamdan is not just a young athlete; he is an example of an entire generation of Syrian children who were born or raised in exile during the years of war and then returned to contribute to rebuilding their country. whats your remarks