WINNIPEG – He barely speaks a speck of English. But Khaled Aldrar’s movements speak volumes.
He’s one of the best.
“I don’t think anybody can beat him at that weight,” Team Manitoba wrestling assistant coach Dave Elder said.
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It’s why the provincial team added him to its Canada Summer Games roster, rolling out the training mat to welcome the Syrian refugee.
“I feel that I’m home here,” Khaled said. “I have good friends here. They make me feel like they’re my friends from childhood.”
Khaled and his family fled Syria due to the ongoing conflict. They spent a little more than a year in Turkey before settling in Winnipeg last December.
“There was a lot of bombings and fighting,” Khaled said. “It was unlivable. We lost everything.”
His passion for wrestling helped him grapple the situation. Khaled often medalled at Syrian competitions including nationals. Just months after arriving in Manitoba, he won a provincial championship.
“He’s very skilled and well versed in wrestling,” Elder said. “He’s been doing it for quite some time so he’s an easy kid to coach.”
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Giving him plenty of potential for a podium finish next week when wrestlers compete at the Canada Summer Games.
“I hope that me and my friends will win and will be the top in the games,” Khaled said.
A familiar outcome while building a new future.
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