Fujairah Martial Arts Club Taekwondo player Fatima Issa to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics
As a part of the Olympic Committee’s presentation on a grant to Fatima Issa Taekwondo player of Fujairah Martial Arts Club to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Taekwondo made its Olympic debut at Sydney 2000, where 103 athletes competed in the Games. The Paris 2024 taekwondo competition will have 128 athletes.
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On Instagram photo: Fatima Issa Taekwondo player and Mr. Abdullah Al- Samahi, Secretary General of the UAE Taekwondon Federation.
Taekwondo, which means “the way of kicking and punching”, is a martial art that originated in Korea.
The aim of taekwondo is for the athlete to kick and punch their opponent, while avoiding being struck themselves. The trademark of this martial art is its combination of kicking and punching movements in quick succession.
Matches are fought on an octagonal field of play in three rounds of two minutes each. Points are awarded according to the degree of difficulty of techniques used; for example, a kick to the head scores higher than punches and kicks to the trunk. Spinning kicks are also rewarded with extra points. Penalties may be given to athletes for various faults.
Taekwondo’s first Olympic appearance was in its home country, featuring as a demonstration event at the Olympic Games at Seoul in 1988. It appeared again as a demonstration sport at Barcelona in 1992 but was absent from Atlanta 1996. However, four years later, taekwondo reappeared as a full medal sport from Sydney 2000 onwards, where events for men and women were held.
While taekwondo competitions were previously dominated by Koreans, the founders of the sport, this is no longer the case. Many countries now come out on top in taekwondo; for example, at London 2012, gold medals were awarded to athletes from eight different countries.
Certain countries have made history by winning their first ever Olympic medals in taekwondo – such as Vietnam in 2000, Afghanistan in 2008, Gabon in 2012, Niger and Jordan in 2016 – or their first-ever female Olympic medals, such as Iran and Côte d’Ivoire that same year.
The taekwondo events will take place between the 7th and the 10th of August in the Paris Olympics 2024.
