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Aram Mahmoud: A dream come true
Date: 7/26/2021 3:09 PM
Published by : Sara Gonzalez Martinez (BEC)
One of the final matches of the third day of the badminton Olympics gave fans a special moment as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team stepped on court for his second match.

Syrian-born and Centre of Excellence (CoE) player Aram Mahmoud is leading the way for the Refugee Olympic Team in badminton. The player faced a setback on his opening match losing to the world’s number seven, Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and was aiming at redeeming himself in today’s clash.

Yet another loss for Mahmoud
Mahmoud could not keep up with his opponent of today’s match, Loh Kean Yew. The player from Singapore sits 42 in the world ranking, and it was to be seen how Mahmoud would keep up with Loh’s level.

- I'm happier than last time. I am, of course, very happy to be here, but in my performance today I could challenge my opponent and I got in some good rallies. Loh is a high quality player, so it was important for me to keep the control but I'm generally happy today, Mahmoud said.

The two 24-year-old were full of energy throughout the game but it would be a similar challenge to yesterday’s for the refugee player. Just like with Christie, it would be a thirty-minute match in which Mahmoud would lose. He slightly improved his result, finishing the match 15-21, 12-21.

- I hope I gave the people a picture of me after two good matches. I hope in the future I can play tournaments to challenge these kind of players, Mahmoud stated.

An inspiration for many, no matter the results
Who would have told the kid from Syria that took up badminton at seven years old after seeing her older sister playing the sport that he would be taking part in the Olympics and what’s more, as part of the Refugee Olympic Team.

Mahmoud has been living in the Netherlands for quite some time now, relocating from his native country. Since January this year, he has been training at Badminton Europe’s Centre of Excellence in Holbæk, a place that he has chosen to train for such a special international event.

- This is a dream come true. It's been a dream my whole life and now I'm very happy I was here and I'll be an Olympian my whole life. It's a pleasure. I've had messages of support from all over the world and thankful to the IOC for this opportunity. It's been amazing to watch the world's best players playing in front of me.
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