انطباعات الراحل عدنان بوظو .. عن تكريم الرئيس الخالد حافظ الأسد لمنتخب سورية ۱۹۸۸

Adnan Bouzo.. some of what he wrote

Impressions of the late Adnan Bozo on honoring the immortal President Hafez al-Assad for the Syrian national team in 1988

⏹ At the core..

In the last reception that our young national football team had by Mr. President Hafez Al-Assad, which lasted for two hours, during which everyone was drawn to every word he said, attracted to every phrase he uttered, and enjoying his rich speech from our dear homeland, which has become lofty and great in the eyes of millions...
- I was keen to remind the young players, before they were born, of the historical and strategic exploits of the President in the field of sports.
- In the year 1966. At the time, Mr. President was Minister of Defense. He received the Syrian Arab Army team, which ranked third in the World Military Basketball Championship that was held in Damascus.. He asked me why we didn't get first place?
I said: How can we achieve first place when there is no gym in all of Syria?
His directives were immediately to establish a hall in the Military Union, for which half a million Syrian pounds were allocated from the budget of the Ministry of Defense, and the hall was completed in less than a year...
In 1974, Mr. President kindly sponsored the final match of the Kenitra Cup, which brought together Syria and Morocco... The next day, he asked me about the reasons for Morocco's victory, even if by a penalty shootout..
I told him frankly: How can we win when there is nothing in our capital except the modest Abbasids stadium, which can only accommodate twenty thousand spectators, while in Casablanca alone, which is the economic capital of Morocco, there are ten stadiums, one of which can accommodate 60 thousand spectators. For Mr. Prime Minister, I want it to be a revolution in the facilities... In less than two years, four sports cities were built in Damascus, and through them we were able to host the Fifth Arab Tournament in 1976, and it was the object of admiration of all Arabs...
Then his strategic directives were to go to the countryside and build facilities in it, then to build the huge sports city in Lattakia, in which we hosted the tenth session of the Mediterranean Games, and it aroused the admiration of brothers and friends alike...
This alone is in the field of establishments.. As for the field of generosity and honoring, I did not hear or read that a president, king, or prince honored his victorious sons in the same way as Mr. President Hafez al-Assad did..
It was just his reception of superiors hoping...
It was a dream to honor them.
Indeed, in honoring him, this is an incentive for all the talented people in our country to be victorious...
O great leader... Words alone cannot fill the space of love that the people have for you.

Abu Louay


He briefly lists the honoring stations by meeting the immortal President Hafez Al-Assad

⏹ at the core

I had the privilege of meeting President Hafez al-Assad four times.
The first time was in 1966, when he was Minister of Defense, so he received the Syrian Arab Army basketball team in appreciation of winning the third place in the World Military Championship. He asked me about the secret of the Europeans’ superiority over us in this game. I said: How can we match them when there is no closed hall in the capital?
Immediately, he was directed to build a hall in the Military Sports Federation. The hall was quickly built, and it was the first in the capital.

The second time was in 1974, when he received our national football team, which ranked second in the Kenitra Tournament, in which the President was keen to sponsor the final match between Syria and Morocco. He asked me about the reason for our national team losing to the brotherly Moroccan team.
So I said that Morocco preceded us in organizing the league in this regard. . It preceded us in reaching the World Cup finals in 1970
There are ten football stadiums in its economic capital, Casablanca, so how can we try them when there is only this (modest) stadium in the capital, Damascus, which has fed up with the fans of Syrian football? Before bidding us farewell, Mr. President said: “Proclaim a revolution in sports facilities.”
- In less than a year, the sports cities in Al-Abbasyyin, Tishreen, Al-Jalaa and Al-Fayhaa had established and hosted the Fifth Arab Tournament.

The third time, in May of 1987, he asked me about our preparations for the tenth session of the Mediterranean Games, especially in the field of media and the preparation of our national teams.
I still remember with great pride what he said in that meeting: The sports facilities that we are keen to develop in all our provinces and villages are for our future generations.

- The fourth time, in August 1988, in which he was keen to honor our national football team, which won second place in the Arab Cup. The battles we are fighting must succeed in sports battles as well ».
I was keen to recall these historical stances and immortal sayings of Mr. President Hafez Al-Assad
Not just out of admiration and love...
Rather, out of loyalty and fulfillment to a historical leader who made a promise, and he fulfilled it.. and he will remain in the lives of generations of sports and youth as a symbol and hope.