Italian taekwondo renews its humanitarian commitment for those fleeing wars and persecutions. The Italian Taekwondo Federation (Fita) has long been involved in initiatives to support people living in contexts of great hardship, but this year it takes a further step forward: seven Syrian girls from the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan will participate in the Kim and Liù tournament – the competition dedicated to young people between 6 and 11 years old, which will take place simultaneously with the World Taekwondo Roma Grand Prix 2026. The athletes were received by Pope Leo XIV and took part in the event’s presentation press conference, which was held on June 3 at the Ara Pacis museum.
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The Initiative
The girls have left the Azraq camp for the first time in their lives and between June 5 and 7 they will compete at the Foro Italico. They will have the opportunity to compete with athletes from all over Europe, leaving the facility that has hosted them since birth or early childhood and showcasing their talent on the very days when world champions will contend for the Grand Prix title and points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Syrian athletes are part of the project of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Center in Azraq camp, managed by the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (Thf) with the support of World Taekwondo. The camp they come from was opened by the UN refugee agency in April 2014 and hosts approximately 60,000 people. The facility – created to house those fleeing the Syrian civil war – is located in northern Jordan, in a desert area about 60 kilometers away from the better-known Za’atari camp.
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Olympic Values
Angelo Cito, Fita president and founder of Thf Italia, stated that «international cooperation is a cornerstone of the Italian Taekwondo Federation. Our doors are open to all athletes fleeing war zones. These are gestures that a federation can make and that are worth more than a million words: they are facts». According to Cito, in fact, «the decision to bring Thf to Italy was born from the desire to put taekwondo at the service of people and especially children in difficulty. Taekwondo is a universal discipline and for everyone».
The Federation president then emphasized that the initiative that brought the Syrian girls to Rome «is a beautiful thing from the point of view of sports values. Today, Olympic values should not be preached, but practiced», adding that «as a humanitarian foundation, we have the mission to support children in many refugee camps worldwide. These girls will be here for a week and will know that there are people who want to help them, that they are not alone. This is the message: people in need should not feel alone».
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