PARIS (AP) — Zakia Khudadadi made historical past on Thursday on the Paris Paralympics by changing into the primary athlete from the Refugee Paralympic Group to win a medal.
Khudadadi received bronze within the girls’s 47kg class after defeating Turkey’s Ekinci Nurcihan. When the ultimate buzzer sounded on the Grand Palais in central Paris, Khudadadi erupted in pleasure, throwing her helmet and mouthpiece into the air.
“It was a surreal second, my coronary heart began racing after I realized I had received the bronze,” Khudadadi stated, her voice shaking with emotion. “I went by way of a lot to get right here. This medal is for all the ladies of Afghanistan and all of the refugees of the world. I hope that in the future there will likely be peace in my nation.”
Khudadadi, who was born with out one forearm, started practising taekwondo in secret at age 11 in a hidden health club in her hometown of Herat, in western Afghanistan.
Initially blocked from competing following the rise of the Taliban in 2021, she was later evacuated from Afghanistan and was allowed to compete on the Tokyo Olympics for her nation following a plea from the worldwide neighborhood.
After the competitors, she settled in Paris and was later provided the chance to compete with the refugee group on the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
“This medal means every part to me, I’ll always remember that day,” Khudadadi sadi. “I received due to the good assist I bought from the gang.”
The environment within the Grand Palais was electrical because the French crowd cheered her on as if she had been one in every of their very own. Since fleeing Afghanistan, Khudadadi has been coaching at INSEP, France’s nationwide institute of sport, in Paris together with her French coach Haby Niare, a former taekwondo world champion.
“Zakia has been magical. I don’t understand how else to place it,” Niare stated, beaming with delight. “The coaching course of has been difficult. She confronted a variety of accidents and he or she needed to be taught so much in a few years however she by no means overlooked her purpose.”
Khudadadi acquired her medal from U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and Andrew Parsons, the president of the Worldwide Paralympic Committee.
“For the Refugee Paralympic Group, it’s tremendous particular, it’s tremendous necessary,” Parsons stated. “Zakia simply confirmed to the world how good she is. It’s an unbelievable journey, it’s one thing that we should always all study.” ___
AP Paralympics:
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