Social media was abuzz with reports of Syrian athlete Hassan Bayaan's escape following his participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics, as he traveled to Germany to apply for asylum, refusing to return to his home country after the conclusion of the event. Bayaan competed in the event as part of a delegation of six Syrian athletes, four of whom were invited by the International Olympic Committee, including him. He took part in judo competitions but was eliminated early, losing 10-0 in the first round.
The news of Bayaan's escape spread across various global pages and websites, prompting the President of the Syrian Olympic Committee and President of the General Sports Federation, Firas Ma’ala, to address the matter. He stated in an interview with the "Q-Sport" network: "The athlete participated based on an invitation from the International Olympic Committee since he did not qualify through the qualifiers. After his participation and stay in the Olympic Village, he requested from the head of the delegation to stay with his uncle, who apparently resides in France, and the head of the delegation agreed since the visa granted to the athlete is valid until the end of August."
Ma’ala continued: "Even if the athlete did not request permission to leave, we have no authority over him since the event is being held in Europe; the athlete could have left without our consent, but he did receive formal approval and did not return with the delegation."
He did not completely deny the possibility of the athlete escaping but did not confirm it either, adding: "We cannot say that he escaped since he left with formal approval to visit his uncle; however, if he does not return, which is still unconfirmed, there are a set of procedures that will be taken against him, especially as he signed a commitment prior to participating to return to his country after the event and not to escape. Nevertheless, if he has decided to escape and not return, any penalties imposed on him will ultimately have no effect."
All attempts to reach the athlete were unsuccessful, amid his apparent lack of activity on social media, which fueled suspicions about whether he had indeed chosen not to return to his country after his Olympic participation. Bayaan is 22 years old and previously won gold at the 2022 Open Asian Championships, along with a bronze medal in the 2023 Arab Games. As of now, the news of his escape remains unconfirmed, awaiting clarity on whether Syria's Olympic mission will conclude with zero medals and a lost athlete wandering the streets of Paris with asylum papers in Germany.
