ALBAWABA - Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was rebuked during his latest appearance during the opening ceremony of Al-Fayhaa Sports Arena on April 20, in the capital Damascus.
Al-Sharaa attended a friendly basketball match between the Syrian and Lebanese Men's National Basketball Teams.
The hall had undergone renovation work during the past months to be developed in accordance with the specifications of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Ahmed al-Sharaa's $1,588 shoes during a basketball match split opinions
Social media activists took it online to focus on Ahmed al-Sharaa's shoes for its expensive price.
One wrote, "Can the people busy with President Ahmed Al-Sharaa's shoes possibly tell us the latest price you reached??"
According to some activists online, al-Sharaa was wearing shoes from the Italian brand Zegna. The cost of the shoes is $1,588, according to the official website of the brand, Zegna.
Another person defended the president by saying, "One of the wonders of the world is that the legitimate president's popularity reaches the point where his shoe occupies social media platforms!"
Additionally, the Syrian Democratic Observatory mentioned in a post on X that outrage is brewing among some people in Syria over the performance presented in the Fahd Hall after its renovation, on the beats of the rap song "Work It" by American singer Missy Elliott.
Ahmed al-Sharaa played basketball:
President al-Sharaa was in the stands alongside the Minister of Youth and Sports, Muhammad Sameh al-Hamid, and several other political and sports figures.
Afterwards, Ahmed al-Sharaa went onto the court and shook hands with and posed for photos with the players of the Syrian and Lebanese national teams, as the two teams were scheduled to play each other on the sidelines of the opening ceremony.
The Syrian president then played basketball, taking a few shots and scoring a few, much to the delight of the fans in the stands.
During his presence in the court, he said, "Basketball was one of the games most dear to our hearts, but we had to abandon it due to wars and conflicts."
