Tokyo Olympics 2021: Hend Zaza: 12-year-old athlete at the Tokyo Olympics

Tthroughout history Olympics, there have been numerous examples of highly talented young people who make a huge impact on the world stage.

At the Tokyo Olympics, this trend will continue as a 12-year-old miracle Hend Zaza is preparing for its debut at the Olympics.

Syrian table tennis star booked his tickets for the Olympics as early as February 2020 when he won his 42-year-old Mariana Sahakian Lebanon in the Asian qualifiers.

He is the first Syrian table tennis player to have won National Titles at all levels, and he now expects to compete in Tokyo this summer.

“It is a gift to my country, my parents and all my friends, ”Zaza said.

As with other Syrian children, a large proportion ZazaThe Syrian Civil War has been marked by childhood, and although he has found table tennis escaping, war has always been present.

Continuous power outages have led to the postponement of several of his practice sessions as they are held indoors in a room with four fallen tables and a cheeky floor, but even that hasn’t diminished his unstoppable desire to be an Olympic medal winner table tennis player.

Sport is in his blood

Zaza is the youngest of five children, four older brothers, and his father is a former football player and now a gymnastics teacher.

“Sport is in my blood, ”he said in an interview with CGTN.com.

“My family has given me tremendous support from the start, and when I was younger they took care of me a lot.

“They help me progress in sports.”

He hasn’t neglected his studies because he loves math and is a self-proclaimed Harry Potter fan, but so far he’s aiming to make a big impact in Tokyo this summer.