Refugee taekwondo players, like Raheleh Asemani (in red), will be given the opportunity to compete at Rio 2016 by entering the Continental qualification process for next year’s Games ©Getty Images

Taekwondo players who are refugees will be given the opportunity to compete at Rio 2016 by entering the continental qualification process after the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) announced it is in the process of amending its Olympic Standing Procedures.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently identified three potential Olympic athletes among the thousands of worldwide refugees, including taekwondo player Raheleh Asemani, a former member of the Iran team who now resides in Belgium.

As a result of the amendment, she will now be eligible to participate in the European Continental Qualification Tournament in Istanbul in January under the flag of the WTF.

The decision from the WTF was approved following av ote among its Council members conducted via email. 

The development comes after the WTF launched the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF), which will discharge teams of instructors to teach the sport to young people in refugee camps around the world, keeping them active, while aiming to instil in them its philosophy and values of Olympism.

The first of a two-part pilot programme ahead of the THF commencing full-scale operation next year began earlier this month with the opening of an academy at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.

A similar second pilot initiative is due to be launched in Nepal in January.

World Taekwondo Federation President Chungwon Choue was in attendance at the launch of an academy at a refugee camp in Jordan earlier this month ©WTF
World Taekwondo Federation President Chungwon Choue was in attendance at the launch of an academy at a refugee camp in Jordan earlier this month ©WTF

“I would like to urge all Continental Unions and Member National Associations to be united in supporting this initiative,” WTF President Chungwon Choue wrote in a recent letter to WTF Council members.

“The WTF, in collaboration with the Continental Unions, would like to allow the refugee athletes to participate in the Continental Qualification Tournaments under the flag of the WTF.

“If qualified, he or she will be competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games under the flag of the IOC.

“The IOC committed to supporting the efforts of the WTF to allow participation of refugee athletes in the upcoming qualification tournaments.”

In September, the IOC announced that an emergency fund of $2 million (£1.3 million/€1.8 million) will be made available to National Olympic Committees to fund programmes aimed at helping refugees.

They were then asked to submit projects to assist refugees, with $1 million (£650,000//€1.8 million) having come directly from the IOC while the other half of the fund is from Olympic Solidarity.

“As European Taekwondo Union (ETU) president, I am very proud of the WTF’s proposal to enable refugee athletes to participate in the Olympic Games and Qualification Tournaments in line with the IOC’s initiative,” ETU President Athanasios Pragalos.

“This decision perfectly matches with the current movement of the WTF to empower refugees and displaced persons and give them hope during difficult times.

“In this respect, the ETU warmly welcomes refugee athletes to participate in the upcoming European Qualification Tournament under the flag of the WTF.”