Refugee in Jordan is one of 37 members of the Refugee Olympic team that competes with the best in Paris.
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Some of the world’s most successful athletes start their careers in sports academies with hopes of turning their dreams of competing internationally into reality. In 2016, Yahya Bassam Al Ghotany stepped into The Taekwondo Humanitarian Centre (THC) in Jordan’s Azraq refugee camp after seeing other kids practising. Two years later he became the academy’s second black belt, and competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Al Ghotany is one of 37 remarkable athletes competing in Paris under the IOC flag and representing 120 million people who have been forcibly displaced worldwide. At the opening ceremony, the 21-year-old was a flagbearer for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team alongside boxer Cindy Ngamba, who in a historic fight on Sunday secured the team’s first-ever medal.
Al Ghotany’s family moved to Jordan when he was a young teenager and it was through sport that he made one of his closest friends there, Ali Al Sikmany.
“I met Yahya in 2015, and he was the first person I got to know in the camp and my very first friend there,” he says.
Arriving in a refugee camp is a daunting experience. Teenagers like Al Ghotany and Al Sikmany had to leave their homes and friends behind, unsure if they would ever see them again. Sport can help young refugees meet new friends and find a safe and supportive environment to help them overcome the challenges related to displacement.
“Yahya and I played various sports together, participated in the school football league. Once, we even participated in a Roman wrestling match!” Al Sikmany fondly recalls.
Al Ghotany’s mother, Tirfah Ahmad Ali Alsharea, remembers when he first showed an interest in the sport. “He used to go watch other kids practice taekwondo, then he decided to sign up and wanted to become a taekwondo athlete.”
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Taekwondo is a popular sport in refugee camps and settlements around the world, with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, working in partnership with the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) to deliver social and competitive sport programmes.
The THF was founded by Dr Chungwon Choue, who is also the current President of World Taekwondo. He saw the potential for taekwondo to help young people build resilience and improve their physical and mental health.
“Taekwondo is simple to pick up as a sport as it does not require any expensive materials,” explains Dr. Choue. “Through Taekwondo, we learn about values including respect, tolerance, and overcoming challenges. Taekwondo is a sport for all that transcends all forms of barriers and helps to promote peace.”
“I am proud that Taekwondo has helped shape the lives of refugees and displaced persons since we began the humanitarian activities in 2016,” he continues. “Wa’el Al Farraj was the first one from a refugee camp to benefit from the IOC Scholarship in Tokyo 2020 but Yahya has taken it a step further with his participation in Paris 2024. I am proud that Taekwondo can inspire hope and dreams for all.”
Al Ghotany’s family and friends will be watching him compete in Paris from Azraq camp today with a sense of joy and excitement.
“I feel immense pride and honor because he represents me, his family, and all refugees. I am proud of him for being an ambitious young man who has achieved his goals,” his friend Al Sikmany says.
Al Ghotany’s brother Zakaria sees his younger sibling as an inspiration to himself and others. “I am proud that my brother reached this level, and that his story makes one think about how he managed to achieve all of this despite all the challenges he faced, which makes him a role model. The lesson I learned from him is that nothing is impossible and the harder you work, the more you will achieve.”
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