Lone fencer from war-torn Syria keeps smiling at YOG

Mohammad Shaheen of Syria has heard bombs exploding outside when he practiced his fencing skills. One day, a bomb fell through the roof of his gymnasium. He saw the wreckage the next day.

The diminutive 17-year-old, one of just three professional fencers in Syria, appears unshaken by these experiences and always has a smile on his face, whether he is talking about his passion for fencing or recalling what the war took from him.

"I mustn't be angry," he said. "I don't care about anything that makes me angry. I love to be a happy man. I don't care about anything else."

Shaheen started fencing when he was 12 years old while his friends were playing football in basketball. He calls himself one of the first fencers in Syria.

Because the Syrian delegation only has nine athletes at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, Shaheen is here alone without a coach. The young fencer is used to this. He has been going to competitions alone for two years now.

"For two years, I am like this, alone, no coach coming with me," he added. "Nanjing, no coach. Kuwait championships, no coach. World championships, also no coach."

"I had a coach from Tunisia. He made me a good fencer, but he left because of the war," Shaheen said. "Because of the war, it's not safe for him. But I am Syrian. I think I should be there because that is my country."

There was no one to cheer for Shaheen or give him advice as he faced his stronger opponents in the men's epee event. Shaheen lost all bouts in the pool round and was eliminated 15-4 in the round of 16 by Linus Islas Flygare of Sweden, who went on to capture the silver.

Shaheen was not discouraged by his early elimination.

"The medals don't matter to me, but I want to be a champion. It's not easy for good fencers to beat me," he said. "Right now I'm losing, but I think that maybe, I hope, I will be better after a few years."

Patrik Esztergalyos of Hungary fought Shaheen in the pool round and won the gold medal in men's epee later in the night.

Shaheen caught some of the quarterfinals action from the sidelines, but could not stay until the gold medal bout, and so he smiled and waved as he rushed off, his mission for the Youth Olympic Games fulfilled.

"If I just come from here without any result, I think Syria is still good," Shaheen said. "Our athletes wanted to show the world that Syria is here."