"I'm counting down the days, it is a dream that is approaching, and one that makes me so happy. I’m ready and more motivated than ever to win a medal," said Omid Ahmadisafa. After practicing combat sports for over ten years, the 31-year-old Iranian will attempt at the end of July to write the next chapter of his already impressive career – as a boxer. Yet before reaching his Olympic dream, the decorated athlete who is famous in his native country of Iran had to overcome numerous hardships.

Born near Tehran, he settled with his family in the village of Qeshlaq. He first experienced adversity at the age of nine, when he lost the use of one eye after an accident. "It was very difficult, especially at that age," he recalled. "My parents divorced a year later, so I went to live with my grandmother. She has been a pillar for me ever since."

It took time before Ahmadisafa adapted to his new life and began trying different sports. He would participate in street fights before a close friend suggested for him to go see one of the city's kickboxing coaches. He immediately fell in love with the sport. "I started training twice a day. It was like a breath of fresh air, and I wanted to fully invest myself in my new passion," he said.

He became a national champion while he was still a teenager and after only six months of practicing the sport. He became well-known, with non-stop television appearances and radio interviews. People would often stop him in the streets to take selfies with the rising star of the Iranian sports scene. 

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From kickboxing to boxing 

This rising star in Iranian sports continued to live a simple life despite his growing fame. He turned down offers from abroad, like from the Azerbaijan Kickboxing Federation which offered to naturalize him in 2016 and integrate him into their national team.

"I didn't know at the time that I was going to leave Iran a few years later. I had a good life and I had nothing to complain about," he said. He made it to the highest level of kickboxing in 2017, winning the world gold medal in Belgrade. "I was hungry for success, but I also wanted to try something else. I decided to try boxing after a back injury which prevented me from putting too much stress on my legs," said Ahmadisafa.

He progressed in boxing so much that in a rare occurrence, he integrated both the Iranian national boxing and kickboxing teams. Aware of Ahmadisafa’s celebrity, the political authorities in Iran even asked him to engage himself in politics, but he refused. The athlete began traveling in 2020 for training. After being authorized to go to Italy for a tournament in October 2021, he left his hotel one evening and sought political asylum in Germany.

"Everything happened very quickly, and I felt lost and scared," he said. "I had turned my back on my past life, I had lost my bearings and I was unsure of everything. It was a feeling I never had before, but I had to leave," he said.

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Help from local community

Ahmadisafa found himself in Nuremberg, where the German authorities took charge of him. For him, a new life began, one full of doubts and apprehension. "It's very hard to manage, mentally, emotionally, and one asks oneself questions on everything, all the time," he said. Despite all of the difficulties, "I was very warmly welcomed as soon as I arrived, even though I didn’t speak the language at all," said the athlete.

He didn’t want to waste his time: while Ahmadisafa was waiting for his asylum application to be examined, a Nuremberg social worker in charge of refugee affairs suggested that he join the ASC Nuremberg, a local club led by the coach Harry Retze.

The champion returned to competing in kickboxing and boxing tournaments in Germany, where he was quickly noticed after joining the club. "I fought against a German champion and beat him," he said. "Everyone at the club was hallucinating and told me they were going to help me train like a professional."

In Paris to win but also to deliver a message of hope

The local sports community in Nuremberg lobbied the German Mixed Martial Arts Federation (GEMMAF) for Ahmadisafa to be allowed to participate in the national championships. The latter agreed, and the champion from Iran saw a unique opportunity. "It was a huge relief, and I can only be grateful for all the efforts they made for me since my arrival. I gave 100 percent, and I joined the German national team to train with them. I was super happy when I won the national title in my category in the spring of 2022," he said.

Ahmadisafa continued accumulating medals and titles across the country. He participated in the World Boxing Championships in Cologne in the 51kilogram weight class and made it to the podium with a bronze medal after knocking out the European champion, Kiara McDonald from the United Kingdom. "That’s when I started to attract the attention of the International Olympic Committee for the refugee team for Paris 2024. It was an incredible feeling when I learned in May that I was part of the Boxing Refugee Team’s squad for Paris 2024," he said.

Ahmadisafa will focus intensely on giving his best performance at the Games in the 51kilogram weight class, while keeping two objectives in mind. "The first is to win a medal", he said. "I'm not going to Paris to be an extra, I'm going there to achieve as much as possible. But I also want to inspire other athletes and refugees, show them that anything is possible, and that we can achieve our goals through hard work."

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