Omid Ahmadisafa hopes sacrifices pay off in Paris
Ahmadisafa is more than grateful for his pathway to Paris, where he will compete in the 51kg weight class.
“The Refugee Team came and showed us a way,” he adds. “Whoever says ‘It can’t be done’ is lying. It can be done. You just have to want it. I came to Germany. Everyone told me, ‘It can’t be done. You’re old, you are 30 years old. it will take years for them to recognise you.’
“But no, I wanted it. They need to want it too. If they want it, it will happen. But if they don’t want it and just lie around at home, it won’t happen.
“Even in quarantine, I would train. They called me crazy and laughed. But I saw the results. I am very happy with the Refugee Team. They showed us a way. They gave me my dreams. I thank them for that.”
Like every athlete set to compete in Paris, the effort of making the Olympics Games has meant difficult choices along the way.
“My mind is troubled,” Ahmadisafa says. “All my friends go to parties and such, but I don’t. My entire focus is on training and tournaments. Sports give you everything, and that’s why it also takes a lot from you.
“I’ve been married for eight years, but my wife sees me once a week. These are the downsides. If someone wins a gold medal and cries, they cry because of all these things they’ve gone through. Or if they come in second or third, they cry thinking about these things.
“They don’t see their mother, father, or siblings at all. Just training, training, training. My sister’s kid came here. I never saw them because I was at training. These are the sacrifices.”
Ahmadisafa hopes such sacrifices lead to a podium place at Paris 2024 and, having already competed against Olympians, he believes he is ready to fight for medals on the biggest stage of all.
“I want to be a great figure,” he adds. “I want this for the other refugees too. I hope they also become great figures. Their parents can proudly say, ‘This is my child, they became a champion.’”