I've lived here for four years and have started a new life.
I think it will be the same,
but you know, I'm always Iranian.
Here in Belgium, nobody wants to say, "You're Belgian."
Everybody says, "You're Iranian."
(FLAG AND FAMILY)
(RAHELEH ASEMANI)
I'm Raheleh Asemani and I do Taekwondo.
I'm in the national team of Belgium.
I was born in Iran, I'm from Iran,
and I started Taekwondo when I was nine years old.
(IN 2012 RAHELEH LEFT IRAN AS POLITICAL REFUGEE)
(IN 2016 SHE WAS GRANTED BELGIAN CITIZENSHIP)
The best part of Taekwondo, I think, for me, is fighting.
I like fighting.
If you fight, it makes you a little bit calm.
Physical training is important when you do Taekwondo.
It makes you speedy and it make you harder.
It is really important
because if you didn't do physical training
it's difficult to get good results.
I get every time positive energy
from my physical training.
Raheleh Asemani sought asylum in Belgium as a refugee.
Fought under the world governing body flag
to qualify for these Olympic Games.
I didn't have my passport before the Olympic Games.
And then I get my passport,
I did first time European Championship
and I get third place. I was really happy!
And then I am going to Olympic Games.
It was my second competition with my new Belgian passport.
The target, of course, here, is the Olympic Games semifinal.
Belgium in blue. Jade Jones coming forward there.
Raheleh Asemani going forward, trying to walk in.
That's put the pressure on the Belgian.
25 seconds left. There's the back kick there.
Well blocked by Belgium's Raheleh Asemani,
the 27-year-old, had that difficult route
into the Olympic Games.
I was in the Olympic Village,
and it was a good feeling for me that I was there.
I saw Iranian athletes from Taekwondo,
volleyball and other sports
but I don't have any connection with them.
If we see together for example in competition,
they're a little bit afraid of me.
I don't know why.
I have every day contact with my family.
Maybe four hours, five or six hours,
after training, between training.
I always, always have contact.
We speak face to face
and I share everything with my father.
For example, I say, "I want to drink tea,"
and he say, "OK, I want to do also tea,"
we drink together, we make birthday parties.
We live actually together and it's really nice.
I am happy when I see my family, they are healthy.
They are most important in my life.
(PERSIAN LANGUAGE)
(SPOKEN BY 110 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE)
When I came to Belgium, first month it was good for me.
It was OK. But after second month
it was too difficult for me because I was from Iran,
I can't speak English, I can't speak Dutch,
and I must to learn how I must write,
how I must speak.
It was a mix of Dutch, English and Persian, it was too crazy.
I've lived here for four years and I start a new life.
I think it will be the same, but, you know,
I'm always Iranian, I am from Iran.
Here in Belgium, nobody wants to say, "You're Belgian."
Everybody says, "You're Iranian."
I love Iran, it's my land, I'm always Iranian.
If I'm going to Iran,
they don't want to accept same as an Iranian.
So I'm in the middle of the Iranian and Belgian -
it's...different.