Refugee athletes committed to values nurtured by taekwondo-inspired festival

AMMAN, Jordan — Dozens of Syrian youngsters were grinning from ear to ear as they got out of a line of buses to join Sports Day, held in central Amman from May 2 to 3.

They chattered and gave organizers high fives, filled with excitement over the once-in-a-year chance to join the event outside the Azraq and Za’atari refugee camps — each a U.N.-designated enclosed area in the deserts of Jordan.

Some had a serious look on their faces, reflecting intense focus and determination to show off the skills that they have honed, both physically and mentally, for the past year.

Both groups were a part of an increased number of Syrian refugee athletes who enjoyed a day outside camps and also put into practice the values learned from sports at the third Hope and Dreams Sports Festival.

A humanitarian initiative led by World Taekwondo (WT) President Choue Chung-won, the festival is co-organized by WT and Choue's Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF).

Since 2023, it has fostered humanitarian values through taekwondo and other Olympic sports.

Central to the third festival was Sports Day, a two-day program of diverse sporting activities involving more than 1,000 participants across six sports — taekwondo, baseball5, 3-on-3 basketball, badminton, handball and weightlifting.

Held at The Sports City complex in central Amman, the event included a mix of competitions, demonstrations and training opportunities. Taekwondo and badminton took place on the first day, followed by baseball5, 3-on-3 basketball and handball on the second.

Weightlifting was involved in the festival through the donation of equipment.

Mindset of caring

“Many taekwondo athletes are joyful and happy for being able to spend a day outside the camp once in a year,” said Kim Moon-soo, the taekwondo grandmaster at the Za’atari refugee camp.

He went onto say, “At the same time, an increasing number of them have a higher goal of demonstrating their progress compared to one and two years ago.”

“They not only want to prove their speed, power and strength but also courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and the indomitable spirit that taekwondo teaches as its five tenets,” the grandmaster added.

The taekwondo tournament took place at Prince Hamzah Hall, the main arena at The Sports City.

More than 300 taekwondo athletes competed in four age categories — children, cadet, junior and senior.

They threw kicks, with some shouting loud in joy as they scored points or won a match.

Whether they won or lost, they never forgot to show respect toward each other by bowing and hugging before leaving the octagonal mat.

“Such sportsmanship was not there in the first festival, but it’s starting to take shape,” Kim said.

Another attendee of the festival since its 2023 beginning voiced a similar view.

“I begin to see more athletes with the mindset of caring for opponents,” said Lee Cheol-kwon, who spent years in Jordan as a master from Kukkiwon, the Korean government-sponsored taekwondo academy.

“The athletes’ goals are becoming clearer and more ambitious as they taste victory, face stronger opponents and go through all sorts of lessons from taekwondo," Lee said.

“If they placed third before, they’re now aiming for second. If they’ve come in second, they’re aiming for first. And I am glad to see such progress,” he added.

Among those who took the podium, Mayat Al-Zoubi, 13, said she dreams of competing in the Olympics after winning bronze in 2024 and then silver in 2025.

She said she was especially inspired by Yahya Al Ghotany, the first Syrian refugee from Jordan to compete in the Olympics in Paris last year.

“There's a big difference between this year and last year, and I want to keep upping the challenge to a higher level in order to learn more from taekwondo,” she said.

Ahmad Al-Saadi, 17, who also took bronze in 2024 and silver in 2025, said he is “glad to see myself keep improving.”

“I train more and practice more, which is possible as I’m able to control myself emotionally regardless of hardship I face,” he commented.

For baseball5, athletes from the Azraq refugee camp represented the refugee groups against several teams from neighboring villages.

A street version of baseball with five players and five innings, baseball5 has been a part of the festival since it first became a multi-sports event.

The refugee team was focused and full of encouragement this year, ahead of its participation in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. The sport will soon make its Olympic debut in a mixed-gender format.

The badminton team had a chance to practice with the under-15 national team from Jordan.

The Jordanian side was led by a Syrian-born coach.

He said he strongly believes in power of sport to help young Syrians “prosper and sustain the future of the war-ravaged country.”

“I see harmony, interaction and friendship among these children, and such traits are crucial for them to grow up as upright individuals in an enclosed community,” he said. “And this should be the bigger picture, rather than becoming a champion in the sport.”

Making its festival debut last year, basketball was adapted to a 3-on-3 player format to better fit the training environment at the refugee camps.

A first-time player, Kawthar Al-Laham, 16, said she is “grateful for an amazing opportunity.”

“I am so glad to learn how to shoot, how to dribble and most importantly, play with others, and such opportunity empowers me as a refugee girl,” she said.

The festival took place from April 30 to May 3 and concluded with Sports Day.

Choue said in a closing address that the “resilience of these young athletes is truly remarkable.”

“It has been emotional and inspiring for each of us to witness their talents during these past few days.”

He also thanked the participating international sports governing bodies, the U.N. High Commissioner (UNHCR) for Refugees and other partners for their support.