Zakia Khudadadi takes bronze and an historic first medal for Refugee Paralympic Team

Khudadadi defeated Türkiye's Nurcihan Ekinci, coming back in the final 60 seconds to score several points and secure her historic medal. Afterwards, she said: “I am so, so happy because today is my life’s dream. It means the world to me. This medal is for all the refugees in the world.”

Earlier in the day, Khudadadi won her opening match with an impressive 21-11 victory over Cuba’s Lilisbet Rodriguez Rivero. Khudadadi was then narrowly beaten 4-3 by the eventual silver medalist, Uzbekistan’s Ziyodakhon Isakova, in a close quarterfinal, before achieving a 9-1 victory in her final match against Ekinci to win bronze.

Khudadadi made headlines after a harrowing escape, risking her life to flee her country just days before the Tokyo 2020 Games. She has lived in France ever since.

As European champion in 2023 in the 47kg division, Khudadadi had high hopes of a medal at the Games in her new home country, and quickly won over spectators at the Grand Palais who cheered her every point.

Following her victory, Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), said: “Congratulations Zakia, on the first medal ever for the Refugee Paralympic Team! I am so proud of you; the medal is yours.”

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi handed out the medals to the winning athletes, Khudadadi included, during the presentation ceremony. “I am deeply moved tonight. This historic win for the Refugee Paralympic Team embodies the power, determination and grit of Zakia and her fellow refugees,” Grandi said.

“Standing on the podium tonight, she represents 120 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. Zakia is a role model for us all. Despite the challenges she has faced, she has become a Paralympic medallist achieving the highest pinnacle of sporting success. The night is hers!

This is the third time the Refugee Paralympic Team is competing at the Games. The first team, comprised of two refugee athletes, competed at the Rio 2016 Paralympics Games. The team grew to six for Tokyo 2020 and in Paris, and in Paris, the eight refugee athletes and two guide runners are competing in six of the 22 sports – Para athletics, Para powerlifting, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, and wheelchair fencing.

Women's rights advocate

“This team is made up of athletes, each with a different story,” Khudadadi said before the start of the Games. “We’ve been through a lot but we’re here to win. Being a part of this team is a privilege, and my goal is to show how strong women can be and to inspire other girls and women to pursue sports and aim for the Games.”

The athlete – who is fluent in French said she felt that she was competing in front of a home crowd in Paris. She is a leading advocate for the rights of women around the world.

“My main goal in pursuing sports has always been to inspire other girls, showing them that they can excel in sports and that they should never be afraid to participate,” she said.

Ahead of her winning bout, Khudadadi described simply being able to compete at the Games as “my dream”.

“I’ve had a disability since childhood and it was difficult to face a society that did not accept me,” she said of growing up with one functional arm. “I wanted to prove that if you truly want something, you can achieve it.”