Zakia Khudadadi, Afghan Para-Taekwondo Athlete, Wins Bronze at Rio Open in Brazil

Photo: zakia_khudadadi/instagram

Zakia Khudadadi, a female Afghan para-taekwondo athlete, has won a bronze medal at the "Rio Open G2" competition in Brazil.

In a message posted on her Instagram page on Thursday (May 29), Khudadadi wrote, "This medal is not just for me, it is for all the women of Afghanistan who are still standing despite all the hardships."

She added, "We may face obstacles, but we never give up. We rise, always!"

It is worth noting that this Afghan athlete, who fled the country after the Taliban's return to power and now lives in France, participated in the Paris 2024 Paralympics as part of the Refugee Team and secured the bronze medal.

This comes at a time when the Taliban, since regaining power, have banned women from participating in sports. As a result, many Afghan female athletes have either halted their activities or been forced to leave the country.