2 Syrian refugees make historic Asian Games debut in taekwondo
From a refugee camp in Jordan to the taekwondo mats on the Asian Games, two Syrian athletes made history this month as the first competitors to represent the Asian Refugee Team in one of Asia’s largest sporting stages. Talah Alhassan Alhinide, 18, and Mahmoud Aljasem Almohammad, 24, competed at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, the first time the Olympic Council of Asia has fielded a refugee…
Two Syrian refugees, Talah Alhassan Alhinide and Mahmoud Aljasem Almohammad, made history by becoming the first competitors to represent the Asian Refugee Team at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. This marked the first time the Olympic Council of Asia included a refugee delegation at its continental event.
Alhinide, 18, competed in the women's under-49-kilogram sparring division, while Almohammad, 24, entered the men's under-80-kilogram category. Unfortunately, both athletes were eliminated in the round of 16. However, their participation held immense significance beyond the scoreboard.
In a statement released by World Taekwondo, Alhinide reflected on her journey, stating, "Taekwondo became much more than a sport. It became my window to hope. It gave me the opportunity to dream again and to believe that being a refugee does not define or limit my future." Similarly, Almohammad found solace in taekwondo, which offered him a new perspective on life.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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