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Olympics and Paralympics
Ayana Archie, NPR

Taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi wins the Paralympic refugee team its first medal

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Zakia Khudadadi from the Paralympic Refugee Team, bottom, celebrates her bronze medal in Para Taekwondo during the Paralympic Games in Paris, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Madeleine Mertens)
Zakia Khudadadi from the Paralympic Refugee Team, bottom, celebrates her bronze medal in Para Taekwondo during the Paralympic Games in Paris, Thursday.
Madeleine Mertens | AP

The Paralympic refugee team has its first medal after athlete Zakia Khudadadi won the bronze medal in taekwondo on Thursday.

Although she lost in the quarterfinals, she defeated Turkey’s Ekinci Nurcihan in her repechage, or makeup match, and went on to medal when Morocco’s Naoual Laarif withdrew from the bronze medal match. Khudadadi competed in the K44 category, which refers to athletes who have one arm amputated, loss of function in one arm or the loss of toes.

Khudadadi was born in Afghanistan, but left in 2021, and now lives in France due to unrest in her home country. Thus, she competes on the Paralympic refugee team, which represents the 120 million people globally who have been displaced. The team spans six countries and six sports, including Para athletics, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wheelchair fencing and powerlifting.

French fans held posters donning “Zakia” on them as she competed at the Grand Palais.

“For three years I’ve been a professional taekwondoka, and today I’ve won because behind me there is the French Republic, the refugee team, and my best coach, Haby Niare,” she said. “We’ve all won today."

This is Khudadadi’s second Paralympic games. She made her debut in Tokyo in 2021, where she became the second Afghan athlete to compete at the Paralympics. She has been in the sport since she was 9 years old.

“I want to give this medal to the whole world,” she said. “I hope that one day there will be freedom in my country, for all the world, for all the girls, for all the women, for all the refugees in the world. And that all of us work towards that, for liberty and equality."

Copyright 2024, NPR