In anticipation of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio next month, a number of Middle Eastern nations have organised the First Annual Levantine Games. Insurgents from various militant groups arrived at the Assad Memorial Sporting Complex in Northern Syria to show how athletics can help spiritual devotion.
One of the outstanding qualities of the First Annual Levantine Games is the creativity used by organisers to adapt traditional sporting events into something new but reflecting the ethos in the region. A shining example is martial arts, scheduled to take place on the first full day of competition at Assad Memorial Stadium. Athletes who advanced to the next round were those who succeeded in beheading their opponents.