Challenged the circumstances.. Saudi Arabia's Dunya Abu Taleb defeats her Israeli opponent

Saudi taekwondo player, Dunya Abu Taleb, defeated her Israeli opponent, Abishag Simberg, 2-1, to reach the quarter-finals of the under-49 kg weight class, on Wednesday, at the Paris Olympics.

Saudi Arabia's Dunya Abu Talib wins After trailing in the first round 2-6, Abu Talib was on her way to losing the second when the Israeli led 4-1, but the Saudi scored a head kick that turned the result in her favor.

In the decisive third round, the fight was one-sided, as Abu Talib crushed her opponent 10-0.

Saudi Arabia celebrated its victory and refused to speak to the media in the mixed zone, while Simberg, the bronze medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics, burst into tears.

Dunya Abu Talib is the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics Dunya Abu Talib is the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics through the qualifiers, and if she succeeds in achieving this goal, she will become the first Saudi athlete to win an Olympic medal, which will constitute an unprecedented achievement for women’s sports in the Kingdom.

Dunia says she started practicing Taekwondo under difficult circumstances, wearing a head covering so she wouldn’t be seen as a girl when she trained with boys. Despite the challenges, her current government support and the spread of her pictures on street signs reflect the great appreciation for her talent and determination to succeed.

Awards won by Saudi Arabia's Dunya Abu Talib Donia Abu Taleb holds a law degree but has not yet practiced law.

She won the first gold medal for Saudi women at the Arab Championship in the Emirates in 2020, and won the bronze medal in the 53 kg weight class at the 2022 Asian Championship, and the bronze medal in the 49 kg weight class at the World Championship in Mexico in the same year.

Last March, Abu Talib became the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics through the qualifiers, before winning the gold medal at the 2024 Asian Championship, the first ever for Saudi taekwondo. Thanks to these achievements, she rose to fourth place in the world in the 53 kg weight class.