▲ Yehya Al-Ghotani(19) who is refugee athlete of Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, participated at "2023 Baku World Taekwondo Championships" that was held in Baku, Azerbaizan. (Photograph by World Taekwond(WT)

One refugee athlete participated in the World Taekwondo Championship (here-in-after referred to as the World Championship) held in Baku, Azerbaijan in May. Yehya Al-Ghotani (19, Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation), who trained Taekwondo at the Azraq Refugee Camp, located in Jordan and known as the second largest in the world, was the main character.

Although Ghotani did not perform well at the World Championship, many cheering and encouraging by Taekwondo people around the world continued when his challenges for the world championship, which had not been smooth since his participation, became known.

During the World Championship, President Dr. Chungwon Choue of World Taekwondo (WT) also said he plans to provide training opportunities in Korea to effectively improve the performance of refugee athletes with the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics just around the corner.

▲ We met  Yehya Al-Ghotani(19) in Chungcheongbuk-do province, Republic of Korea (Photograph by Seok-mu Mason KWON)  ©Seok-mu Mason KWON

In response, I met Ghotani, who is sweating after participating in a training camp of Korea, again at a university in Chungcheongbuk-do province on Friday, the 22nd, about four months later.

Seeing him approaching with a smile on the campus of a quiet lunch break, it seemed like Korea's university campus life was already ingrained. Looking at him, who looked as relaxed as he could on such a peaceful campus, I could only hope that the darkness of refugee life would be lifted from him as soon as possible.

His physique has also improved. Although he is a 19-year-old young man who grows day by day, his three-month life in Korea seems to have created a different physique from Ghotani, whom he met in Baku, through improved nutrition.

In an interview with a media, Ghotani said, "I am Yehya Al-Ghotani, an athlete qualified to play in the 2024 Paris. I am training hard day after day when I arrive in Korea. I am trying to practice training and interacting with other athletes through the camp. I am now camping in Korea for three months. I will take advantage of every day to train and practice. This camp give great benefit for me."

On the same day, a small souvenir of United Through Sports (UTS) was delivered to Ghotani.