MAHMOUD Aram

Refugee Olympic Team
Badminton
15 Jul 1997
24
Male
 
Syrian Arab Republic

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
BDM Badminton Men's Singles 15

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Musashino Forest Sport Plaza BDM Court 2
Men's Singles Group Play Stage - Group G
#102
INA
CHRISTIE JCHRISTIE Jonatan
2
EOR
MAHMOUD AMAHMOUD Aram
0
Finished
Musashino Forest Sport Plaza BDM Court 2
Men's Singles Group Play Stage - Group G
#121
SGP
LOH KYLOH Kean Yew
2
EOR
MAHMOUD AMAHMOUD Aram
0
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
Athlete
:
Economics - Johan Cruyff Academy, Amsterdam, NED
:
Arabic, Dutch, English
:
His older sister Sanaa has represented the Syrian Arab Republic in badminton, including at the 2015 Asian Championships in Wuhan, People's Republic of China. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Jul 2021; olympics.com, 06 Jun 2021)
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He took up badminton at age seven in the Syrian Arab Republic, following his sister by making the switch from gymnastics. "I followed her everywhere. And when I started to play, I felt like it was a very good sport and very fun for me. I started playing with her, and together we became the best in Syria." (hva.nl, 01 Mar 2021; olympics.com, 06 Jun 2021)
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His father, who coached him and his siblings when they were younger, encouraged him to take up badminton. "It was very important to me that I was doing a sport that I liked and that I was good at. This turned out to be badminton. I became champion of the schools in my area. I went to tournaments in Iran, Turkey, India and Japan. I thought it was very cool. Especially when classmates asked where I had been, that I could say that I had been in Japan for two weeks for my badminton. I always came first in my age category. Not only in Syria, but also in other Arab countries." (edition.cnn.com, 20 Jun 2021; hva.nl, 01 Mar 2021)
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To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Outside of sport, he hopes to eventually be reunited with his family who are in the Syrian Arab Republic. (edition.cnn.com, 20 Jun 2021)
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In January 2021 he started training at Badminton Europe's Centre of Excellence in Holbaek, Denmark. (thebridge.in, 22 Jun 2021; edition.cnn.com, 20 Jun 2021; olympics.com, 06 Jun 2021)
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Being selected to the Refugee Olympic Team for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "When they announced my name that I was in the team, it was one of the best moments in my life." (abc15.com, 23 Jun 2021)
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Chinese badminton player Lin Dan, Japanese badminton player Momota Kento. (olympics.com, 06 Jun 2021)
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His family, and his father. "Even though he lives miles away from me, we still call each other after every game. Together we evaluate the game and go through the points that I can improve. This does me good." (hva.nl, 01 Mar 2021; abc15.com, 23 Jun 2021; edition.cnn.com, 20 Jun 2021)
:
"I'm playing not only for my country, but for refugees all around the world. We can achieve something - and there are a lot of people who need that motivation to achieve the unexpected." (thebridge.in, 22 Jun 2021)

General Interest

General
FROM SYRIA TO THE NETHERLANDS
In 2015 he left the Syrian Arab Republic as the civil war in the country had prevented him from studying or training. He moved to the Netherlands, where he eventually settled in Almere. "Leaving my family, my friends, my homeland - that was the most difficult thing. I decided to leave Syria because I wanted to search for a better future for myself, and also to feel safe, to live a normal life. When I left Syria and went to the Netherlands, I found a safe place, and I also started playing the sport I love. Badminton allowed me to get help in my integration in the Netherlands. The challenge was great but I have used badminton as a tool to make friends. In the first months I moved so many times from one village to the next. Things changed when people helped me by finding a club where I could play badminton. I'm blessed with the support of my family and a lot of friends. They allowed me to learn Dutch and to get to know the Dutch people." (olympics.com, 06 Jun 2021)

INTERNATIONAL PAUSE
After arriving in the Netherlands in 2015, he was unable to compete internationally for three years while waiting for approval to represent the Netherlands. The last time he competed for the Syrian Arab Republic was in 2014. "I won the Syrian men's championship for the second time in a row and the Arab youth championship, but while I was waiting for the end of the crisis in my country, I got exactly the opposite, the crisis intensified and chaos was everywhere. When I was 15 I became champion of Syria among the seniors. After this, the situation in Syria changed and I had to put my safety first. I was unable to train properly for two years [in Syria]. This was during an important period, the age 16 to 18 years, an age in which you go through a lot of growth. The 2014-2018 period was sometimes frustrating. I had to wait a lot before being able to compete internationally under the Dutch flag. So during that period I only played at club and Dutch national level." (hva.nl, 01 Mar 2021; olympics.bwfbadminton.com, 12 Jul 2019)

Legend
:
Gold Medal Event
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Silver Medal Event
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Bronze Medal Event
Content 1 (removed through CDN)
Content 2 (removed through CDN).
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