Syrian refugee taekwondo athlete Hunaidi reveals LA Olympic dream after competing in first Asian Games

Syrian refugee taekwondo player Tala Hassan Hunaidi lost to Chinese athlete Ma Jingyue with a round score of 0-2 in the women's 49kg round of 16 at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, but said in a post-match interview, "I am really happy to participate in this competition and I am very proud of myself," and "It was a new and good experience." He continued, 'I was very happy and excited when the referee started counting. “I want to continue competing with other players in the future,” he added.

Hunaidi, from Syria, escaped the civil war and settled in Azraq refugee camp in Jordan with his family. As he was losing confidence amidst the uncertainty of the future and the fear of refugee life, he was introduced to Taekwondo at the age of 9 through the Taekwondo Fraternity Foundation's education program held at a camp. Hunaidi, who grew as a player like that, joined the first Asian refugee team formed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in 2026 and stood on the Asian Games stage.

After appearing on stage at her first Asian Games, Hunaidi's next goal is the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics. He said, ‘Taekwondo changed many things in my life for the better,’ and ‘Participating in this competition changed my life 180 degrees. Now I have a goal and I’m excited. “Now I also have a dream,” he said. He continued, ‘I want to win a medal at the Olympics. “I will train every day,” he said. “I lost today, but I think this is the beginning of success.”

Mahmoud Jassim Muhammad (24), who made the Asian refugee team with Hunaidi, lost to Kang Jae-kwon (Samsung Eswon Taekwondo Team) with a round score of 0-2 in the men's 80 kg round of 16 on this day. Muhammad, from Syria, fled the war in 2016 and settled in Azraq refugee camp in Jordan. Like Hunaidi, he participated in the Taekwondo Foundation's training program at the camp, grew as an athlete, and stood on the Asian Games stage as a member of the first Asian refugee team in 2026.

Muhammad told the Asian Games organizing committee, 'Before I learned Taekwondo, I didn't know what my future would be. “I didn’t even have a dream,” he said. “Through Taekwondo, I was able to dream and make that dream come true.” He then said to refugees around the world, 'People should not give up, either in life or in competition. You must follow your dreams and not give up even if it hurts. ‘We have to keep moving forward,’ he said.