Azraq Camp Welcomes Choue for 1st

Time Since COVID Pandemic

THF Center has earned eight IOC Refugee Athlete Scholarships, graduated 41 black belts

In his first such visit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue today arrived at the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation’s (THF) flagship project at the Azraq Refugee Camp for displaced Syrians in Jordan.

“It is great see how far the students have progressed since my last visit, and how much good work is being done here,” Choue said. “The success of you all here at Azraq is a benchmark for the THF, and also a benchmark for the wider Olympic family as we strive to improve the daily lives of refugees like yourselves through sport.”

Choue presented each of the center’s dan grades with special World Taekwondo black belts, which feature their names sewn into the cloth.

So far, Azraq has graduated 41 black belts. The youngest black belt holder at the camp, Doaa Al-Ayoub was just six years old when she earned the rank.

World Taekwondo Council Member HH Sheikha Jameela Al Qasimi was also present and donated books.

Among Azraq’s top players, eight have been awarded Refugee Athlete Scholarships from the IOC for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

“With such a strong group of black belts, we are seeing skill levels rise here among all athletes,” Choue said. “I am confident that Azraq alumni will one day wear Olympic medals around their necks.”

The training center has proven to be a fully sustainable asset, and is arguably the crown jewel among THF projects. The nascent facility taught its first Taekwondo class in 2016 and was formally inaugurated in 2018 as a purpose-built center.

The center is currently coaching around 100 athletes. In addition to teaching its core skill set of Taekwondo, it has also hosted multiple joint training projects with other International Federations.

8-Year-Old Syrian Refugee Earns 2nd Dan Black Belt

around their necks’

In 2021, Doaa Al-Ayoub, then aged six, became the youngest refu gee in the world to be awarded a black belt in Taekwondo - and she did not stop there.

On Dec. 22, aged eight, she was awarded her 2nd dan, slightly over a year after earning her 1st dan.

She was tested by the Jordan Taekwondo Federation, where she showcased both her skill and her discipline.

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue was impressed: “We are very proud of Doaa, she is an example to all of us,” he said. “No matter our circumstances, if we work hard, we can excel and pursue our dreams.”