Hend Zaza is the youngest competitor at the Tokyo Olympics. She is also the youngest Olympian since the 1968 Winter Olympics.
On Saturday, Hend Zaza will begin her participation in the Tokyo Games, but she will make a one-of-a-kind appearance. The 12-year-old Syrian will face Austrian Liu Jia, who is more than three times her age, in her first-round table tennis match.
Zaza is the youngest athlete competing in the Olympics. She is also the youngest Olympian since Beatrice Hustiu, who competed in figure skating in the 1968 Winter Olympics at the age of 11 years old.
Zaza’s presence in the Tokyo Olympics represents a victory for the sport of table tennis in Syria, as she is the first person from the country to qualify for the Games. At the age of 11, she won the West Asia qualifying event and qualified for the Olympics.
Zaza has won Syrian national titles in all four categories in which she is eligible, including the senior title, having started playing at the age of five.
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