Zakia Khodadadi, Afghanistani Parataekwondo-Athlete and Member of RPT Arrives in Tehran
Zakia Khodadadi is an Afghanistani taekwondo athlete who became the first para taekwondo athlete from the Refugee Team to win a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in France
According to Mohajir Times, Zakia Khodadadi, an Afghanistani Parataekwondo-athlete from Herat, Afghanistan, and a French Para Taekwondo Refugee Team member, has arrived in Tehran. Ms. Khodadadi arrived in Iran on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, where she received a special welcome at Imam Khomeini International Airport by the “Abdul Ali Mazari National Unity Martyrs Foundation,” along with a group of Afghanistani migrants, athletes, and refugees residing in Iran.
This welcoming event, coinciding with Zakia Khodadadi’s visit to Iran, was organized by the Abdul Ali Mazari National Unity Martyrs Foundation under the leadership of Mr. Mir Hossein Joya, the foundation’s head, and a group of athletes and Afghanistan migrants in Iran. In a statement released on the matter, the foundation’s management wrote, “Zakia Khodadadi is a symbol of the strength, courage, and bravery of Afghanistan women and the voice of millions of Afghanistani women.”
Zakia Khodadadi is an Afghanistani taekwondo athlete who became the first para taekwondo athlete from the Refugee Team to win a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in France. After her victory, she stated the medal “belongs to all the women of Afghanistan and refugees around the world.” Notably, no Afghan athlete had previously won a medal at the Paralympic Games before Zakia Khodadadi.
On August 29, 2024, Ms. Khodadadi defeated her Cuban and Turkish competitors in para taekwondo matches. In the final bout, her Moroccan opponent withdrew due to injury, allowing Zakia to secure the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Zakia is also a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Refugee Team and previously participated in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, where she served as Afghanistan’s flag bearer.
