Azad Al Barazi, Syria's only swimmer at the 18th Asian Games, said Tuesday that his mission is to try and bring a glimmer of hope to his country during the ongoing civil war.
"To me, that's the main focus, the next generation. I can't make the country better or back to where it used to be because that's going to take 10 to 15 years, but the next generation -- the three to five to seven year olds -- those are the ones that are going to give hope and bring that country back," Al Barazi said.
Al Barazi competed in breaststroke for Syria at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and firmly believes his presence at global events makes a small but important difference.
"It's a big deal every time I represent the Syrian people," he said. "People are shocked because we're under a civil war so having representation just gives hope to the next generation."
"There are 3.2 million refugees who have left Syria and they could be like me. Whatever citizenship they take up or whichever country they decide to establish their next life in, they can still go back and represent Syria. It doesn't have to be swimming or sport, it could be science or history or anything," he added.
