Yovari Mahdi must have shed a tear or two as he marched out with the rest of the Afghanistan contingent during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held at the National Stadium in the Japanese capital Friday evening. Holding the black, red and green colour flag with the national insignia of Afghanistan at the centre of it, the 24-year-old had not even dreamt of this moment till a few years ago. But here he is, at the world's biggest sporting extravaganza, as one of the five athletes who are representing Afghanistan, the country of his birth.  

Irrespective of his showing at the Asaka Shooting Range – where Mahdi would be competing in the Men's 10m air rifle qualification event Sunday morning – the young Afghan, who was raised in Iran and is presently settled in Switzerland, has already captured the attention of the world through his inspirational journey.

After leaving war-torn Afghanistan at the age of 17 to living in Iran and then seeking asylum in various countries before meeting three-time Olympic gold medallist Niccolo Campriani, things have happened at a quick pace in Mahdi's life, perhaps faster than the shots fired from his rifle.
 

"When I left Iran, I could not choose my destination. But now, through the Make a Mark project, I have been able to control my path towards my goal, the Olympic Games, where I will proudly represent my native country, Afghanistan. I have dreamt of the Games every day since being selected for this project, and it feels incredible for this dream to have now become my reality," Mahdi told Sport and development before the start of Olympics. 

It was the historic participation of the International Olympic Council (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 which prompted Italian shooting legend Campriani to begin the search for refugees near his home in Lausanne through the 'Make a Mark' project. He found three of them – Mahdi, Khaoula Sellami and Luna Solomon – to train and mentor for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

What happened next can be seen in the Olympic Channel's emotional documentary series 'Taking Refuge' which was released last year and tells the story of three novice competitors mentored by Campriani.

While Mahdi, using Campriani's rifle and tripod, is representing the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee, Eritrean refugee Luna Solomon is part of the 29-member IOC Refugee Olympic Team competing across 12 sports in Tokyo.

There's a big India connection as well which has made the maiden Olympic appearance of Mahdi and Solomon possible.  

Campriani, a long-time friend and former competitor of Abhinav Bindra – India's only individual gold medallist at the Olympics – had partnered with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation to help several youngsters rehabilitate their lives through the sport of shooting. In 2019, the Foundation had also arranged the training of Khaoula and Mahdi along with some of the best Indian shooters, including Apurvi Chandela, in Bangalore.  

With no previous experience, Mahdi, Khaoula & Luna have picked up sport and have used it to give themselves purpose. @rickykej has contributed a beautiful song capturing the essence of the #MakeaMark project. @campriani &I look fwd to seeing people celebrate the power of sport! pic.twitter.com/V9yBBcrh5E

— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) June 10, 2020

Just like Mahdi and his colleagues, several other athletes participating in the Olympics, especially those who are part of the IOC Refugee Olympic team, will have a similar story of struggle, surviving war and displacement to narrate.

Whether he shoots an Olympic medal or not, Mahdi, and other athletes like him, have already won a gold by making it to Tokyo Games.

"When I told Mahdi that he was going to the Games through a 30-second video of the Secretary General of the Afghan National Olympic Committee, the first thing he said was ‘so my mum will see me on TV’, it was really hard not to cry, and the second thing he said was ‘so the tripod will go for the fourth Olympic Games," Campriani told International Sports Press Association. 

Such stories of guts and glory are, of course, what makes the Olympics so special.

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