The first Gambian to be competing in the taekwondo event of the Olympic Games, Alasan Ann has opened a taekwondo school in Andover, Minnesota, USA. Ann, from Maple Grove, Minnesota, United States.
Ann represented Gambia, and won an Olympic quota in February 2024 through the African qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal.
“I’m learning about business and also trying to be an athlete. Just a lot of new things happening all at once. You’ve just got to take it and run with it,” Ann told CBS News.
He competed in the qualifying tournament with an injury but is now looking forward to Paris 2024. “The energy is gonna be so high. You’re going to see all these people who have worked so hard. It’s going to be inspiring,” he said.
Ann is the first Gambian taekwondo athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games, and now he has his sights set on breaking barriers in Paris in 2024.
“I can make history on the world stage and go for the ultimate prize: the Olympic gold. It just goes to show that if you really work for something, if you really believe in it, no matter what the result is or what all the odds are. You can make your dreams come true,” said Ann.