The Korea Times

Young Syrian refugees conclude Rome taekwondo tour with private Colosseum visit

ROME — Seven young taekwondo athletes from refugee camps in Jordan capped off a busy week in Rome early Sunday morning with an exclusive visit to the Colosseum. Courtesy of the Italian Taekwondo Federation (FITA), the refugee children and World Taekwondo delegates were the only guests inside the historic landmark. The athletes — Laour Fahed Alahmad, Marwa Ealawi Almahmoud Alshaeikh, Loujain Wesam Alrefaei, Sereen Mohammad Ghuzlan, Huda Khaled Alkhaled, Baraa Mohammad Aldamad and Remas Yaser Haji Ramadan — are Syrian nationals between the ages of 7 and 14 based at the Azraq and Za’atari camps. The private Sunday tour concluded an eventful itinerary for the children. Earlier in the week, they joined World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won for a visit to the Vatican to meet with Pope Leo XIV. They also stepped onto the mats at the Foro Italico to compete in the Kim and Liù youth tournament, held concurrently with the Rome 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix. During their morning at the Colosseum, the children watched the World Taekwondo Performance Team and FITA’s Ciao Team delive