From the Azraq camp in Rome, seven Syrian girls at the Kim and Liù taekwondo tournament

Italia taekwondo renews its humanitarian commitment to those fleeing war and persecution. The Italian Taekwondo Federation (Fita) has already been involved for some time in initiatives to support people living in extremely difficult circumstances, but this year it is taking a further step forward: seven Syrian girls from the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan will take part in the Kim and Liù tournament - the competition dedicated to youngsters aged between 6 and 11 that will be held at the same time as the World Taekwondo Roma Grand Prix 2026. The athletes were received by Pope Leo XIV and took part in the press conference presenting the event, which was held on 3 June at the Ara Pacis museum.

The girls left the Azraq camp for the first time in their lives and will compete at the Foro Italico between 5 and 7 June. They will have the opportunity to measure themselves against athletes from all over Europe, leaving the facility that has welcomed them since birth or since their early years and showcasing their talent on the very same days when world champions will compete for the Grand Prix title and the points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The Syrian athletes are part of the Azraq camp's Taekwondo Humanitarian Centre project, run 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 accommodates around 60,000 people. The facility - set up to accommodate those fleeing the Syrian civil war - is located in northern Jordan, in a desert area about 60 kilometres away from the better-known Za'atari camp.

Angelo Cito, Fita president and founder of Thf Italia, said that 'international cooperation is a cornerstone of the Italian Taekwondo Federation. Our doors are open to all athletes escaping from war zones. These are gestures that a federation can make and they are worth more than a million words: they are deeds'. According to Cito, in fact, 'the decision to bring Thf to Italia 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 went on to emphasise that the initiative that brought the Syrian girls to Rome 'is a beautiful thing from the point of view of the values of sport. Today Olympic values should not be preached, but practised,' adding that 'as a humanitarian foundation we have the mission to support children in many refugee camps worldwide. These children will stay here for a week and they 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".