By Nick Butler at the Jamsil Lotte World Hotel in Seoul

A female Saudi Arabian taekwondo player is likely to compete at Rio 2016 ©Getty ImagesA female taekwondo player from Saudi Arabia is likely to participate at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) President Chungwon Choue has claimed.


It follows criticism of the lack of Saudi participation in female sporting events in recent years, and with gender equality a key part of the Olympic Charter, there had been calls for the Gulf kingdom to be banned from London 2012 unless the policy changed.

After intense international pressure, judoka Wojdan Shaherkani and Sarah Attar became the first female athletes to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics in judo and athletics respectively. 

But no Saudi women were selected for last year's Asian Games in Incheon.

Pressure, however, is set to be applied to Saudi in the run-up to Rio 2016 to ensure they have female representation. 

Taekwondo is one of the sports that has been targeted. 

With Shaherkani lousing her Olympic judo bout in just 82 seconds and Attar finishing over 30 seconds behind her nearest rival in her 800 metres heat, Saudi officials want to ensure any athletes they send are more competitive at Rio 2016. 

Sarah Attar was one of two Saudi Arabian women to compete at London 2012 ©Getty ImagesSarah Attar was one of two Saudi Arabian women to compete at London 2012
©Getty Images





The Asian Kingdom could receive one of four wildcard spots reserved for countries who do not qualify any athletes, Choue, although the identity of Saudi competitors likely to be in contention have still to be identified. 

"The President of the Saudi Arabian Judo and Taekwondo Federation came to see me in Doha," Choue told insidethegames here.

"They [have] already agreed with Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee [who said] that if [the] WTF and IOC (International Olympic Committee) allows them to participate one female taekwondo athlete they are willing to join with the Olympic Games.

"So Saudi Arabia need one female athlete and it happens to be that they have more talented athletes in taekwondo.

"It is likely to happen."

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