Jordan’s national taekwondo team will begin its participation in the sixth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games, hosted by the Saudi capital Riyadh, starting Saturday.

The team enters the competition with high ambitions to build on the historic achievements of Jordanian taekwondo in this event.

Participants and competition schedule

The national team is represented in this edition by an elite group of male and female athletes, under the leadership of the national teams’ head coach, Fares Al-Assaf.

The Jordanian national team roster includes: Jaafar Al-Dawoud, Mahmoud Youssef, Hamza Al-Nashash, Saleh Al-Sharabati, Zaid Mustafa, Fadia Al-Kharfan, Razan Al-Rawashdeh, and Rama Abu Al-Rub.

The team’s participation spans three main days:

Saturday: Jaafar Al-Dawoud (under 54 kg), Fadia Al-Kharfan (under 57 kg), and Zaid Mustafa (under 74 kg) will open the competition.

Sunday: The duo Mahmoud Youssef (under 60 kg) and Saleh Al-Sharabati (under 82 kg) will compete.

Monday (final day): The team will conclude its participation with Hamza Al-Nashash (under 67 kg), Razan Al-Rawashdeh (under 63 kg), and Rama Abu Al-Rub (over 70 kg).

High spirits and history on the horizon

The national team held its final training session on Friday morning at the designated hall in the athletes’ village.

Following the session, head coach Fares Al-Assaf said the athletes’ morale is “high,” and that they are fully prepared to deliver their best in hopes of achieving top results and increasing Jordan’s medal count in the event.

It is worth noting that Jordanian taekwondo has an impressive record at the Islamic Solidarity Games, having won medals in every previous edition.

Jordan’s historical taekwondo tally in the event stands at 16 medals: three gold, two silver, and eleven bronze.

The Jordanian athletes aim to add to this total and further strengthen Jordan’s status as a global force in taekwondo.