Inspirational refugee judokas bow out of Paris 2024 Olympics in mixed team defeat to Spain
The Refugee Olympic Team bowed out of the mixed judo team event to Spain at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
All six judokas from the refugee team were set to compete in the round of 32 contest at the Champ-de-Mars Arena on Saturday (3 August).
However, as is the nature of this knockout format, Spain’s 4-0 victory meant Arab Sibghatullah and Mahboubeh Barbari Zharfi did not take to the mat.
Adnan Khankan, Muna Dahouk, Mohammad Rashnonezhad and Nigara Shaheen all lost their contests by Ippon on the final day of judo action at the Olympics. Spain went on to lose to eventual finalists Japan.
An inspirational week reached its climax for the refugee judokas in France.
Khankan, who has eyes on LA 2028, fell to the experienced Daniel Eich in the -100kg on Thursday, and the 30-year-old had an even tougher task on Saturday.
He faced Nikoloz Sherazadishvili, the 2018 and 2021 -90kg world champion, who won this contest within 54 seconds thanks to an Ippon.
Next up was Dahouk, who declared "everyone has a right to dream" and was back at the Olympics for a second time.
The 28-year-old, who lost to Jimenez Kristine in the -57kg on Monday, succumbed to an Ippon from Spanish opponent Ariane Toro Soler in the mixed event on Saturday.
After realising his childhood dream earlier this week, Rashnonezhad then put up a superb fight against David Garcia Torne on the tatami, their bout lasting two minutes and 18 seconds before the Spaniard won by Ippon.
In what proved to be the fourth and final match-up, Shaheen lost by Ippon as well to Cristina Cabana Perez.
Shaheen was also appearing in her second Olympics, and has called the refugee team her “second family”.
“I found a family with the Refugee Olympic Team,” Shaheen told Olympics.com ahead of Paris 2024.
“Our journey from Tokyo to Paris, you can see that there’s so many differences that we relate with. We are a team and a family. We celebrate New Year together, we eat together, we all get together and celebrate.”
Once the dust settles on Paris 2024, it will be all eyes on making LA 2028 for the judokas, who inspired refugees around the world by competing at these Games.