Syrian Refugees Win First Baseball5 Game at Mediterranean Cup

When seventeen-year-old Zaynab Alnfail stepped off the Baseball5 court in Taranto, Italy on Thursday, she couldn't stop smiling. Her team, representing Syria at the Mediterranean Games, had just won their country's first-ever international Baseball5 victory against Greece, and she was about to cry happy tears.

"We're the youngest team here. All the other teams are older than us, so I'm so happy," Alnfail said after the 6-0, 9-1 win. The victory marked an incredible milestone for a group of teenagers who discovered the sport just three years ago in Jordan's Azraq refugee camp.

The Syrian team's journey started in 2023 through a World Baseball Softball Confederation initiative. With only 23 players, ages 10 to 15, and limited equipment, they began learning Baseball5, a simplified street version of baseball that requires no bats, gloves, or large fields.

Today, that small program has grown to more than 140 participants, five dedicated Baseball5 fields, and multiple Jordanian youth championship titles. Now they're competing on one of the sport's biggest international stages, preparing for Baseball5's Olympic debut at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

Team captain Ahmed Hadroos, who found the sport in 2023 at the Humanitarian Sports Centre, says Thursday's win means everything. "Today I truly felt like I represented all Syrians," the teenager said. "With such a young team, this success is an unbelievable feeling."

The victory came against Greece, ranked 49th in the world compared to Syria's 62nd ranking. Last year at the Youth Baseball5 World Cup in Mexico, the team gained valuable experience but struggled to find wins. Coach Amjed Alatoom from Jordan has guided them every step of the way.

"I can describe working with this team with three words: passion, hope and dreams," Alatoom said. "They are my family, not only my team."

Why This Inspires

For Hadroos, Baseball5 has transformed daily life beyond the scoreboard. "I've learned sportsmanship, gained experience and developed as a person," he explained. The sport has given structure, community, and purpose to young people navigating life in a refugee camp.

Both Hadroos and Alnfail hope their success shows other young refugees what's possible. "I never imagined I would be here," Alnfail said. "Believe in yourself and have confidence in yourself."

Hadroos shared an even more powerful message: "No matter how difficult the circumstances, whether it's war in your country or life in a refugee camp, don't stop pursuing your dreams. With hope and hard work, nothing is impossible."

The young Syrians will continue competing at the Mediterranean Games this week, carrying forward the hope that started three years ago with a ball and an empty field in Azraq camp.