Saudi taekwondo standout Donia Abu Taleb had an unusual introduction to the sport: for years she trained at a boys’ club because there were no girls to compete with.
Now the 27-year-old has become the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics and is dreaming of bringing home the Gulf kingdom’s first gold medal when she competes in Paris, AFP reports.
“I started taekwondo when I was eight years old and there was no support like now,” Abu Taleb told AFP.
“I always played with the boys in the boys’ centre, originally without girls. I used to wear a head-covering on my hair so as not to show that I was a girl. That distinguished me and made me strong… I love the challenge.”
In 2012 in London, judo athlete Wojdan Shaherkani became the first Saudi woman to compete at the Olympics thanks to a special invitation from the International Olympic Committee.
Her historic debut lasted just 82 seconds, as she was beaten in the first round.
US-born Sarah Attar, another invitee, finished a distant last in her 800m heat on the track.
Attar was one of four Saudi women to compete as wildcards at the 2016 Olympics, and they were followed by two more at Tokyo 2020.
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Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh has tried to revamp its forbidding image in part by expanding rights for women.
Abu Taleb has taken advantage of the newfound state backing, bagging gold at the 2020 Arab Taekwondo Championship and bronze medals at the Asian and world championships in 2022.
“From the beginning, I dreamed of being a world champion, participating in the Olympics, and winning gold,” she said.
To date, Saudi Arabia has won two bronze and two silver medals at the Olympics, all for men.
Abu Taleb’s success at the Olympics would give added momentum to Saudi Arabia’s campaign to rebrand itself as a sports hub.
As the Olympics approach, Abu Taleb is fully aware of the pressure she’ll be under but insists she can handle it.
“As the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics, I have reached the stage of kill or be killed,” she said.
“I have reached a place where I must achieve something.”