All eyes on Taekwondo team as matches start today

AMMAN —  Jordanians anxiously await Thursday’s start of the taekwondo competition at the 2024 Olympic Games currently underway in  Paris, France.

The Kingdom’s delegation to the  2024 Games is headed by a record four qualifiers in Taekwondo led by Tokyo Games silver medalist Saleh Sharabati now in his second Olympics. Zaid Mustafa plays in the under 68kg on Thursday; Sharabati (under 80kg) and two-time Olympic qualifier Juliana Al-Sadeq (under 67kg) on Friday, while Rama Abul Rub (67kg) plays Saturday.

The hero of the 2016 Rio Games, was then 20-year old Ahmad Abu Ghaush, the youngest competitor in taekwondo's 68kg weight class, who became the first taekwondo athlete in the Arab world to win gold and Jordan’s first ever Olympic medal. 

The Paris Games mark Jordan’s 12th time at the Olympics where chances of winning at the elite sporting competition of the World’s best, are slim. 

In addition to the 4 qualifiers in Taekwondo, Jordan’s delegation included five other qualifiers who are now out of competition: three boxers (Hussein and Ziyad Ishaish, Obada Al-Kasbeh), gymnast Ahmad Abu Saoud, and table tennis player Zaid Abu Yamen. The latter two were eliminated in the preliminary rounds while boxer Ziyad Ishaish lost in quarterfinals after he was a win away from playing for a medal in his second time at the Olympics. His two teammates three-time Olympic qualifiers, his sibling, Hussein Ishaish in addition to Obada Al Kasbeh were out in the Round of 16. 

The 2024 Summer Olympics  will run up to August 11, featuring 329 events in 32 sports.