Afghanistan's Zakia Kudadadi was the first to shine in Taekwondo, the national flag of the Republic of Korea, which was adopted as an official event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Kudadadadi, a disabled female taekwondo player who dramatically escaped from Afghanistan, showed a powerful kick in the first match of Taekwondo at the Tokyo Paralympic Games held today (2nd).
In the women's 49kg class (sports class K44) in the round of 16, he faced Chiyodakon Izakova and lost 17-12.
Relatively tall Kudadaddy won the first round 6-5, but Izakova, who got down in the second round and succeeded in three trunk kicks, turned 12-8, and Kudadidi showed a back heart in the final third round. They started a chase, but in the end they could not turn the game over and they lost 17-12.
Regardless of the outcome, his challenge shone.
Born with a congenital defect in his left arm, Kudadadi almost never participated in the Paralympic Games.
As the Islamic militant group Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the airport was paralyzed, and Kudadadi and the disabled athlete Rasoulli were stranded as they were unable to leave the capital, Kabul.
In a video message from Afghanistan, Kudadadi said, "As an Afghan woman and as a female representative of Afghanistan, I ask for help. Afterwards, with the help of the international community, including governments and organizations, the two players escaped Afghanistan and dramatically arrived in Tokyo, achieving their dream.
With today's match, Kudadadi became Afghanistan's first Paralympic taekwondo athlete and became Afghanistan's second female Paralympic athlete, following Marina Karim in Athens 2004.
(Photo = Yonhap News)