Iraqi Safaa Rashid Mohmood Aljumaili reacts on the podium of the awarding ceremony for men's 85kg event of weightlifting at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 24, 2018. Worldwide sports are a means to promote peace, but the people who engage in sports do not always live in peaceful environments. The Syrian civil war has raged on for years, the peace process in Afghanistan is still encountering roadblocks, and Iraq is still turbulent. All of these places have sent athletes to the ongoing 2018 Asian Games. When Safaa Rashid Mohmood Aljumaili clinched the first gold for Iraq by winning the men's 85kg event in weightlifting on Aug. 24th, his own dream came true. "For many years, I trained so hard, not just want to stand on this podium, but also want to give some message to my countryman, we are still strong. We could make life better," said Aljumaili. "Maybe one day, a child sit front of the TV. When I arrive, I will tell myself: I want him to be like me. I want him to stay away from the guns on the street, stay away from the bombs and be an athlete," he added. (Xinhua/Li He)
