Syria's irrepressible aces shine against the odds

"I first came to the Asian Games for the 2010 Guangzhou edition. This is my fourth Asian Games and the last Asian Games for me," Ghazal said after finishing a very respectable sixth on Wednesday night at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.

Ghazal was raised in an athletic family. His father was a footballer and is a former head coach of the Syrian national team.

After choosing to focus on high jump in 2006, Ghazal excelled in the sport and was chosen as Syria's flag-bearer for two opening ceremonies, at the Olympics in London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Living in Damascus, he has encountered numerous problems obtaining visas following the conflict that began there in 2011, forcing him to miss several major international competitions. He had to regularly go to Beirut, Lebanon, in order to travel because there are no international flights out of Syria.

"I'm an expert in embassies, where they are, their addresses, when they open, when they close, what documents you need for a visa. I'm an administrative expert in this subject. Everyone is surprised when I say I still train and live in Syria," said Ghazal.

Despite these issues, Ghazal said he will continue to contribute to high jump in his nation — either as an athlete or as an educator.

"You know, I'm already 36. I will see how my body is bearing up. If everything is OK and I'm healthy, maybe I'll continue to Paris (2024 Olympics). If not, I'm going to start working with young people in the sport, to cultivate the younger generation in Syria," he said.