Badminton: Refugee athlete Dorsa Yavarivafa falls to Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in opening Paris 2024 group match

By Michael Hincks
2 min|
Dorsa Yavarivafa in action for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team
Picture by BWF

Refugee Olympic Team member Dorsa Yavarivafa lost her opening badminton match to Yeo Jia Min at Paris 2024 on Saturday (27 July).

It was always going to be a tall order for Yavarivafa, who relocated to the United Kingdom from the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2018.

Yavarivafa fell 21-7, 21-8 in her Group I meeting with Yeo, the 13th seed and former junior world number one from Singapore.

“It was amazing, everyone was so supportive. There was an amazing community around me, so I just loved it," said Yavarivafa.

"I was so honoured to be there and to represent more than 100 million (refugees). That’s a lot, so I’m very honoured.

“We’re such an amazing community, everyone is so supportive and there were some of them (Refugee Olympic Team athletes) in the crowd today, they came to watch me. I’m very happy about that and it gave me the motivation to keep going."

"This journey has been one of perseverance and hope, and I’m determined to make the most of this incredible opportunity. I will make everyone proud,” said Yavarivafa after earning a place on the Refugee Athlete Scholarship scheme in 2023.

Yavarivafa, 20, trains at Sankey Academy, an independent badminton club in Milton Keynes, having been introduced to the sport by her father aged nine.

She is also combining badminton with studying Sports and Exercise Science at Middlesex University, and is making her Olympic debut at Paris 2024 as one of 37 members of the refugee team.

Despite losing out to Yeo in 21 minutes at La Chapelle Arena, Yavarifava has another shot at victory on Monday.

In her next Group I match, Yavarivafa takes on Kate Foo Kune of Mauritius, who appeared at the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 and then Rio 2016.