Damascus - AFP. Syrian Minister of Youth and Sports Mohammad Sameh al-Hamid announced his resignation on Thursday for health reasons, nearly a year after taking office. He wrote on his Facebook page: "Today I resign from my position as Minister of Youth and Sports due to my health condition." He added: "I extend my thanks to the President for the trust he placed in me, and I also thank my fellow ministers and the entire government team. I swear by Almighty God that I worked with complete devotion and did not exploit my position for my own service." Al-Hamid (51 years old), a former basketball player, is the first Minister of Youth and Sports in Syria, as the responsibility for managing the country's sports affairs previously lay with the General Sports Federation.
