Kimia Alizadeh Becomes European Champion; Iranian Refugee Taekwondo Player Shines Under Bulgarian Flag

Kimia Alizadeh, a former national taekwondo representative of Iran, managed to stand on the top podium and secure the first place in the 62 kg category at the European Taekwondo Championships in Belgrade, just one month after obtaining Bulgarian citizenship. In these competitions, Alizadeh reached the semifinals by defeating competitors from France, Italy, and Serbia, and in this stage, she also defeated a Croatian opponent. In the final of the competition, she competed against Alia Paul from Britain and achieved the championship title. Alizadeh, who is preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, was the only medalist in taekwondo among both male and female athletes for Bulgaria at the European Taekwondo Championships. The 25-year-old Alizadeh, like many other Iranian sports champions, applied for asylum in 2020 while in the Netherlands due to restrictions and problems arising from mismanagement in the sports of the Islamic Republic. This prominent Iranian athlete participated in the Tokyo Olympics as a member of the IOC Refugee Team and finished in fourth place. In the Tokyo Olympics, in addition to Kimia Alizadeh, Iranian athletes including Kasra Mahdipour, Amir Mohammad Hosseini, Ehsan Naghi Zadeh, and Dina Pouryounes competed under the flag of the national refugee team. Mismanagement, gender discrimination, political pressures on athletes, and problems arising from financial difficulties and facilities have led to an increase in the wave of Iranian athletes seeking asylum in other countries. The presence of 14 Iranians in the 36-member IOC Refugee Team at the Paris Olympics has drawn attention from some media outlets in Iran. The Paris Olympics will begin in less than three months, and according to Iranian sports experts, with the small delegation that will be sent to this competition, the chances of winning a gold medal for this delegation are not very high.