This post is also available in: العربية
Bahjat Al-Nayef, or as he likes to call himself “Barnoos” the son of Al-Ishara city in Deir Ezzor province, he sought refuge inTurkey fleeing the death surrounding his province, and he carried with him his dream which was growing up with him, to become a footballer in one of the most important European leagues, and he had what he wanted after a period of his arrival to Turkey, and that was through the gate of (Osmanlispor) team in the Turkish capital, Ankara, after his talent had exceeded the borders of Urfa state, where he was living during the period of his asylum, and reached the Turkish team scouts inviting him to join them, this is how the 18-year-old Syrian youth’s first wish has come true.
D24 network interviewed the talented footballer, Bahjat Al-Nayef and he granted us a speech about his new experience.
The footballer, Bahjat said:
“I got my start in playing with the popular neighborhoods teams and six-a-side-football fields in my city Al-Ishara and I was 14 then, and despite my young age, the teams of the grown men asked me to play with them in popular tournaments, and that is how my talent began to appear to my friends, players, and my family members.
And he added:
“The conditions in Deir Ezzor province at one point of the Syrian revolution forced me to leave it and Turkey was the place where l headed, l arrived in Urfa city in 2014, and on its playgrounds I began practicing the hobby I love, football, I played in the six-a-side-football fields until the Free Syrian Al-Furat Sport club was established in Urfa by a group of free athletes, I joined the club and started training, playing games, and making a place for myself in the team through my participations and the creative contributions that I made, and when Al-Furat club started participations abroad through the coordination between the club administration and Turkish officials in Urfa, some of Urfa and Hatay clubs started taking an interest in me.
Al-Nayef continued :
“The opportunity I was waiting for came in the last tournament which I took part in through Al-Furat Club, which was in Hatay province with participation of 24 teams from all the Turkish states, It was organized by the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sports and supported by UNICEF, and we were able to achieve the first place in the tournament, and the way I played in the tournament caught the attention of some of the Turkish officials, and after the tournament I was invited by Mr. “Emrah Topoglu” to go to the capital Ankara for tests to join the club “Osmanlispor”
which plays in the big league or what is known in Turkey as “Birinci League”, and with the help of God, I managed to pass the medical and technical examinations successfully, so the team management and coaches praised me for my performance.”
The young star concluded his speech by saying:
“Today I am training with the team, waiting for the completion of the Turkish citizenship papers, which will be granted to me exceptionally to be able to sign with the club officially, I am happy with the progress I made, and I feel that I have begun fulfilling my childhood dream, I get good treatment from my new friends in the team, and I wish that the opportunity will be given to every Syrian talent that was hidden because of the conditions of displacement and asylum. “