Thousands of kilometers away from Tokyo, over a hundred Syrian children are competing for medals in their own special Olympic Games within refugee camps in northwestern Syria. They are engaged in javelin throwing, high jumping, and sprint races alongside their tents. Before sunset on Saturday, 120 children residing in 12 camps surrounding the city of Idlib gathered to compete in the "Tent Olympics," organized by a Syrian non-governmental organization. Their ages range between eight and fourteen years, dressed in vests colored according to their camps, and they are divided among various competitions: javelin and discus throwing, high jump, martial arts, gymnastics, badminton, as well as running and racing while holding their cardboard trophies.
Football field lines were drawn with crushed white chalk on the dirt around the tents, and nearby is a rectangular running track filled with hurdles. A javelin flew through the air, a teen's body soared to touch the high jump bar, while another struggled in a gymnastics jump, but the prevailing mood was one of enjoyment. Walid Muhammad al-Hassan (12 years old) said, "We were very happy," adding, "I competed in the jump and won second place." Two boys dressed in karate uniforms, with orange belts wrapped around their waists, were executing surprise moves at each other, leaping into the air where their punches occasionally went awry.
At the end of the competitions, the organizers announced the winners' names, who ascended to the podium to receive their medals amidst applause and cheers from the audience.
### "Free Champions"
Ibrahim Sarmini, a protection program coordinator at the NGO Binas, stated that the goal is "to equip children with athletic skills in sports they have not had the chance to learn in our community." He explained to AFP that "the main aim is to shed light on the camp residents, children, and adults, who live very difficult lives." The conflict in Syria has resulted in the deaths of over half a million people and displaced millions since 2011.
Idlib province, which is the last stronghold of jihadist factions and other fighters, hosts around three million displaced individuals, more than half of whom live in makeshift camps under extremely harsh conditions. They rely on humanitarian aid and contributions from NGOs to meet their needs.
In Tokyo, where the final events of the Olympic Games are taking place on Sunday, Syrians are either part of the official sports delegation or within the refugee Olympic team that emerged in the previous Olympics. Sarmini remarked, "It is sad to see young Syrians participating in the games under the name of refugees." He added, "But it is good for true free champions to represent the people here" in northwestern Syria. No Syrian won a medal within the refugee team, while the official delegation returned with a bronze medal earned by Ma'an Assad in weightlifting.
