DAKAR, Senegal (Feb 9, 2024) - The season-opening Qualifying Tournament for Paris 2024 Dakar, Senegal was marked by excitement, ground-breaking records and dreams as new nations qualified for the Paralympic Games.

 

Athletes from Cameroon, Kenya and Niger made history as they qualified for Paris 2024 Paralympics, taking gold medals at the season-opening African Qualification event for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

 

It was a first for these nations to secure slots for the Games after Para Taekwondo made its Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 Games.

 

Overall, Morocco topped the medals table with six medals that had three gold followed by Cameroon and Kenya with two gold medals each.

 

Altogether six countries - that also included Egypt, Niger and the hosts Senegal - clinched the 10 gold medals at stake at the continental qualifying event and qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

 

The qualified athletes are listed here: Ide Oumarou Djabirou (NIG), Ayoub Adouich (MAR), Abdel Rahman Mahmoud (EGY), Rachid Ismaili (MAR), Idrissa Keita (SEN), Guileine Chemogne (CMR), Neema Stency Obonyo (KEN), Julieta Lemuge Moipo (KEN), Marie Antoinette Dassi (CMR), Rajae Akermach (MAR).

 

A total of 35 countries from four continents have now qualified - Africa (6), Asia (9), Europe (15), Pan Am (5) – two Affiliated Individual Nation and one Refugee Team Athlete have qualified for the Paris 2024, which will host the Para Taekwondo events for the second time in the history of the Games.

 

A total of 61 slots have been allocated through the World Para Taekwondo Paralympic rankings and host nation allocation methods.

 

There are more chances for the athletes to qualify as the process for the Continental Qualification pathway and the bi-partite invitation pathway to reach the games are yet to begin.