Yahya Al-Ghotany (Arabic: يحيى الغوطاني; born 2004)[1] is a Syrian taekwondo practitioner. A refugee in Jordan, he was selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics and was named the flag bearer for the Refugee Olympic Team.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Syrian |
| Born | 2004 (age 19–20) Syria |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Taekwondo |
| Weight class | 68 kg |
Biography
editAl Ghotany was born in Syria as the first of seven children.[2] The Syrian civil war started when he was age seven, and his family fled the country for the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan.[2] In 2016, at age 12, he learned of taekwondo "by chance": a friend informed him of courses taught nearby by the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF), at the Azraq Academy.[2][3] His coach recalled "When Yahya started taekwondo in 2016, he was a young boy, 12 years old. He came to me and said, 'I want taekwondo'".[2]
According to The Korea Times, "It didn't take long before Al Ghotany showed a natural ability for the sport and began aspiring for the highest levels as an athlete."[2] Within five years, he reached a rank of black belt second-dan, which usually requires seven years of training.[4] With the help of World Taekwondo (WT), he started participating in international tournaments.[2] In 2023, he participated at the World Taekwondo Championships in the 63 kg category.[5] At the Hope and Dreams Sports Festival, organized by the THF and WT in 2024, Al Ghotany qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team (EOR), to compete in the 68 kg category.[2] In preparation for the Olympics, Al Ghotany trained with the Jordanian national taekwondo team under coach Faris Al Assaf, who helped Ahmad Abughaush win Jordan's first Olympic medal in 2016 with a gold in taekwondo.[2] He was later selected the co-flag bearer for the EOR at the opening Olympic ceremony alongside boxer Cindy Ngamba;[6][7] at age 19, he became one of the youngest Olympic flag bearers in history.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Yahya Al Ghotany". Olympics.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hae-rin, Lee (14 May 2024). "Syrian taekwondo athlete from Azraq refugee camp ready for Paris Olympics". The Korea Times.
- ^ "تعرف على يحيى.. شاب سوري سيحمل علم اللاجئين بافتتاح باريس" [Get to know Yahya... a young Syrian man who will carry the refugee flag at the opening of Paris] (in Arabic). Sky News Arabia. 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Paris Olympics 2024: Meet Yahya Al Ghotany, The 19-Year-Old Syrian Flag Bearer". NDTV. 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Al Ghotani, Yehya". TaekwondoData.com.
- ^ "Cindy Ngamba and Yahya Al-Ghotany will be the flagbearers of the Refugee Olympic Team". Olympics.com. 23 July 2024.
- ^ Khalatyan, Rafael (25 July 2024). "Boxer and taekwondo athlete to carry Refugee Olympic Team flag". Inside the Games.