The Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation has congratulated the sport's representatives on the Krakow-Malopolska 2023 refugee team ©Getty Images

The Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) has congratulated the athletes from the sport due to compete in the refugee team at the 2023 European Games in Krakow-Malopolska.

Kasra Mehdipournejad, Kimia Alizadeh and Dina Pouryounes are all set to compete at the Games in Poland after the European Olympic Committees decided to create a refugee team for the first time.

All three have received scholarships from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as potential athletes for the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team. 

Alizadeh and Pouryounes already have Olympic experience after making the refugee team for Tokyo 2020.

Iranian-born Alizadeh fled discrimination in her home country and has resettled in Germany.

She won a bronze medal at 57 kilograms at Rio 2016 and shocked two-time Olympic champion Jade Jones of Britain in Tokyo.

Kimia Alizadeh competed at Tokyo 2020 and has been named for the European Games refugee team ©Getty Images
Kimia Alizadeh competed at Tokyo 2020 and has been named for the European Games refugee team ©Getty Images

Boxers Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba and Farid Walizadeh have also been selected for the European Games refugee team.

"THF is proud to announce that the team will comprise taekwondo athletes Kasra Mehdipournejad, Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin and Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi," the THF said.

A group of 13 taekwondo athletes currently have IOC scholarships for Paris 2024, meaning it is the second most represented sport among the hopefuls.

The THF works to teach the sport to refugees and other displaced people around the world.