Yahya Al Ghotany, a 19-year-old taekwondo athlete from Syria, has been chosen to be the flag bearer for the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on July 26.
Al Ghotany fled Syria with his family and is now training in Jordan. Despite all the challenges, he has become one of the youngest members of the ROT and one of the youngest flag bearers in the history of the Olympics.
In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Al Ghotany shared his excitement and pride in being chosen as the flagbearer. "It is a very nice feeling, I had no idea that I was going to be the flagbearer," he said.
He also revealed that it felt amazing "to be the flagbearer for all the refugees around the world," and he is motivated to do better "because when I'll be competing, people will say 'he was a flag bearer'."
Al Ghotany got a black belt 2nd dan level in taekwondo just five years after starting the sport, a feat that typically takes seven years to accomplish. As one of the youngest members of the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team and one of the youngest flag bearers at the Opening Ceremony, Al Ghotany is aware of his unique position.
When asked about it, he said it was "a bit abnormal", but he was happy. "I really think of the memories of everything that I've gone through and what really got me here," he said.
Yahya Al Ghotany's focus has been solely on the competition, as he feels more disciplined and concentrated on his career than ever before. This moment is a dream come true, one he has had since childhood. He is thrilled to be competing in the men's -68kg event on August 8, just a day before his 20th birthday.
Al Ghotany recognises the significance of his presence in Paris, not only as a refugee but also as a young athlete. "I really look forward to learning a lot from this experience and with my age, I still have many years ahead of me," he said.
His goal is to become an improved version of himself, "the new Yahya", who fulfils all the passions, dreams and aspirations "that the young Yahya always dreamt of."
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