Head of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), Abdurrahman Mustafa, announced the establishment of the Sports and Youth Commission at a press conference held in the Turkish city of Gaziantep on Monday.
The conference was attended by Secretary of the political committee and Coordinator of the Office of Unions and Sports Federations Abdul Majeed Barakat, and a number of Syrian youth and athletes.
Mustafa stressed the importance of the move as it represents the organizational nucleus and the basis for institutionalizing the sports activities and framing them within organized revolutionary structures and bodies. The move will also ensure better representation of the Syrian youth in the liberated areas and host countries.
Head of the Sports and Youth Commission, Ahmed Al-Khatib, thanked the Syrian Opposition Coalition and the Syrian Interim Government for granting him the confidence, pointing out that the birth of the Commission came after lengthy and difficult preparations.
He pointed out that this move would not have been achieved without the absolute support of the SOC and SIG as well as the efforts of the free and devoted Syrian athletes. He also said that the Commission will prioritize the consolidation of the culture of team work, the integration of Syrian young athletes into the Commission, secure support for individual and team games, and participation in regional and international tournaments.
Deputy Head of the Commission, Hassan Qaseh, expressed his hope that the establishment of the Commission will be a milestone in the history of the free Syrian sports, stressing the importance of working to ensure that the Syrian youth are present in all the revolutionary sports and non-sports institutions.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
