Pakistan, Sept. 21 -- Syrian taekwondo athletes Mahmoud Jasem Muhammad and Tala Hasan Hunaidi are making history at the Asian Games in Japan. The pair became the first athletes selected for a dedicated refugee team at the Olympic Council of Asia's flagship event. Both athletes fled Syria and now live in Jordan's Azraq refugee camp.

Taekwondo gave Muhammad and Hunaidi a way to cope with the challenges of displacement. Muhammad, 24, will compete in the men's under-80kg kyorugi event. He said he carries his personal story into every fight and hopes to turn it into a success story.

Muhammad said he and his family did not leave Syria by choice. War and difficult living conditions forced them to move to another country. However, he said he wa...