Since we believe that every pursuer is ultimately a winner, and everyone is capable of reaching their goals, we will allocate a monthly corner to talk about the success stories of women from the modern and contemporary history of Syria.
Our story today is about the Champion of Syria and the Arab world several times (singles, doubles, and mixed doubles) in the table tennis game “Ping-Pong”.
A’zza Hani Al-Abdullah was born in Hama and lived in Damascus, she then moved to Homs after her marriage. Despite this big change in her life at the time, she loved the city and felt like she belonged.
Her first passion was sports, and her interest went beyond ping-pong; as she was always present in the basketball and football matches at a time when there would be no other girls in the audience, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing her passion.
She started training in middle school and gradually evolved from an amateur athlete to a professional and a champion.
Our heroine refers to the period of her playing sports as the most beautiful time of her life, in spite of all the difficulties and hardships she lived through. This period was rich in training, travel, and camps inside and outside of Syria. She says:
“The first condition to surpass in sport is passion, and the second is the commitment to training, whether individually or with the team”.
Although she quit playing and didn’t become a coach as it isn’t necessary for every player to become one, she remains a passionate fan of her game (table tennis) following up with the matches and updates.
Despite her impressive success in sports, she didn’t neglect any other aspect of her life; she graduated from the Institute of Engineering, worked in the Housing Association, and then she devoted herself to caring for her children.
As for her other interests, she is a fan and regular visitor to the cultural center of Homs, and lately, she’s been busy working with the “Nour Emesa” women’s network, supervised by the UNDP, as part of a group of networks in all Syrian Governorates.
In addition to being a member of the board of directors of the “Fraternity Club” with five other men, who are working hard to revive the damaged club after years of war, they plan to include a study zone and a kitchen within the new premises.
Our heroine says: “Success is to love what you do, be passionate about it, and have faith in it and its mission, together with serious commitment, this combination is the way for every person to achieve success”.
In conclusion, she addressed the Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative, saying: “I encourage and support every initiative that seeks to empower women and grant them their rights, through which we will achieve equitability and social cohesion, and I’m very pleased to see young women volunteering for this goal”.