For the first time ever, Egyptian Para Taekwondo champion, Salma Ali, wins the gold medal in the Grand Prix Championship (G6 category), which is currently being held from September 21 to 24 in Veracruz, Mexico, after she beat her Mongolian contender, Surenjav Ulambayar, 3-2 in the final match.
Salma Ali had defeated her British opponent in the quarter-finals 16-2, then defeated the Mexican champion in the semi-finals 0-2, before winning the final match over the Mongolian champion.
Salma Ali became the first Para athlete from Egypt to win the gold medal at a Grand Prix.
The Egyptian Para Taekwondo national team’s delegation to the tournament is headed by accountant Hazem Kandil, a member of the federation’s board of directors and supervisor of the Para Taekwondo team. The delegation includes the general coach, Dr. Ismail Mahran, and the following players: Salma Ali, weight category – 52 kg, Abdel Rahman Farag weight category – 70 kg, and Abdel Rahman Ismail weight category – 58 kg.
The Grand Prix and World Championships are one of the main stages for qualifying to the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, and Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, congratulated the player on her success in the challenge. He pointed out that the Egypt continues its support for the Para athletes providing them with all means of success, in coordination and cooperation with the Egyptian Paralympic Committee
Dr. Ashraf Sobhi added that the Ministry appreciates Egypt’s Para champions, for the achievements they achieve in various international events, and trusts their ability to defy difficulties and ascend to the podium.
In addition to that, Dr. Hossam El-Din Mustafa, President of the Egyptian Paralympic Committee (EPC), congratulated the player. He highlighted that the EPC stands behind all its Paralympic champions in all sports, morally and financially, by providing all their needs in cooperation with their affiliated federations, as well as coordination with the Ministry of Youth and Sports on the
level of support to prepare the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
