RIYADH: Taekwondo national team athlete Dunya Abu Talib has become the first Saudi sportsperson to win the International Olympic Committee’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Award for Asia. Abu Talib, the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympic Games and win an Asian gold medal, was given the 2024 award in recognition of her inspiring contribution to empowering female athletes both locally and internationally, the IOC said in a statement on Friday. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee president, expressed his pride in the achievement, saying: “I congratulate Abu Talib on this well-deserved award, which reflects the significant progress in women’s sports in the Kingdom, thanks to the unlimited support of our wise leadership.” The recognition shows that Saudi women are now playing a key role in global sports and serves as a motivation for the next generation of female athletes to achieve even greater success, he said. Abu Talib ranked first globally in the International Taekwondo Federation’s general classification for the under-53 kg weight category for March 2025. SOPC continues its commitment to supporting male and female athletes in the Kingdom by providing a comprehensive sports environment that enables them to achieve global success and raise the Saudi flag at the world’s leading sporting events.
