Firas Mualla has been congratulated by the Olympic Council of Asia ©SOC

Firas Mualla has been congratulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) after his election as President of the Syrian Olympic Committee.

Husain Al Musallam, the director general of the OCA, told Musalla it was a "great pleasure" to learn of the news.

"Please accept my heartiest congratulations on the same," he said.

"I am sure the Syrian Olympic Committee and sports in general in Syria will continue to benefit from your knowledge and wisdom."

Mualla, a former swimmer, was elected to his position last month.

Ghada Shouaa remains as Syria's only Olympic champion ©Getty Images
Ghada Shouaa remains as Syria's only Olympic champion ©Getty Images

Syria made headlines in February when their 11-year-old table tennis player Hend Zaza qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The youngster won the West Asia Olympic Table Tennis Qualification Tournament in Amman to book her place in Japan, and was on course to be the youngest athlete at the Games.

However, Tokyo 2020 has now been postponed until no later than the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Syria has won one Olympic gold medal in the country's history – courtesy of Ghada Shouaa who won the heptathlon title at Atlanta 1996.

Sport, like everything else in the Middle Eastern nation, has been badly impacted by ongoing conflict.