Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Monitoring, Zakia proudly represented her nation and won the European championship in her weight category by defeating all three of her opponents. Her victory brings honour to Afghanistan and shows the world the determination and effort of Afghan athletes on the global stage.
In a sincere tweet, she shared her desire to win a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She expressed her strong hope to make this dream come true. As the recent European Taekwondo champion, she wrote, “Becoming a champion was amazing, but my bigger dreams included seeing Afghanistan’s flag high and hearing our anthem proudly. Today, I’m a refugee, feeling a deep pain in my heart that words can’t explain.”
As per the European Taekwondo Federation’s records, Zakia Khudadadi participated in the “K44” category of Parakwondo, competing in the 47-kilogram weight division. Her initial opponent was “Victoria Marchuk”, hailing from Ukraine. Notably, Victoria triumphed over Zakia during the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. However, the tables turned this time, with Zakia emerging victorious against Marchuk.
In the thrilling final confrontation, Zakia emerged triumphant in the Turkish taekwondo competition, seizing the prestigious gold medal and proudly claiming the revered title of European Champion.
An Afghan taekwondo athlete shared a touching message on Twitter. She dedicated her championship medal to the strong girls and women of Afghanistan. These brave girls have faced tough challenges in recent years, like limited access to education, learning, and jobs.