Source: Sipa USA/SOPA Images
[Saba Sports News] A student at Middlesex University and a talented badminton player, Dorsa Yavarivafa has overcome adversity as a refugee to compete in the Olympics held in Paris this July, becoming the second member of a refugee delegation to qualify for Olympic badminton. Now, Dorsa has a new goal: the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where she wants to compete against the best badminton players in the world again. Dorsa was born in Iran and started playing badminton at the age of nine under her father’s influence. After winning championships in some local competitions in Tehran, she began systematic training in badminton. At fifteen, Dorsa left Iran with her mother and arrived in the UK after a difficult journey. Due to the pandemic, she could only train in her apartment during that time. With the help of Iranian badminton player Kaveh Mehrabi, Dorsa applied to join the refugee athlete scholarship program. Now, Dorsa trains at the Sankey Academy in Milton Keynes and will regularly participate in competitions while also focusing on her studies at Middlesex University. Four years later, Dorsa plans to apply for British citizenship and hopes to represent the UK national team at the Olympics.