Farzad Mansouri’s Journey of Resilience

Farzad Mansouri, wearing traditional white robes, a patterned tunic and a black face mask, proudly carried the Afghanistan flag into Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium. Little did he know that a few weeks later, he would be scrambling to leave the country he had represented in taekwondo. The teenager couldn’t anticipate the chaos at Kabul airport during the Taliban’s takeover as he and others sought evacuation.

Mansouri, who competed in the Olympics in Tokyo but lost in the last 16 in the +80kg category, received a stark warning from his brother, who lives in London, during the games: “Don’t go back to Afghanistan. I know everything will go bad.” Despite the risks, Mansouri returned to Afghanistan but faced rapid deterioration when the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021.

Amid the ensuing chaos and violence, Mansouri and his family faced harrowing moments trying to secure passage out of Afghanistan. They eventually managed to board a US evacuation flight to the United Arab Emirates. Tragically, shortly after their departure, a suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport claimed the life of Mansouri’s taekwondo teammate Mohammed Jan Sultani.

The attack occurred as Sultani tried to secure passage for his family out of Afghanistan. Now 22 years old, Farzad Mansouri has resettled in the UK after spending months in a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi. Despite the challenges, including language barriers and visa issues that impacted his athletic career, Mansouri persevered. His dedication and resilience paid off when he was selected to compete for the International Olympic Committee’s Refugee Olympic Team in Paris.

Reflecting on his journey, Mansouri draws motivation from his past struggles and the support he has received. He aims to achieve Olympic success, representing himself, Britain, the Refugee Olympic Team and its global supporters.