Asian Athletes Shine on Day Two of Sixth Qatar Open Taekwondo Championship

Competition at the sixth Qatar Open Taekwondo Championship continued for a second day. Organised by the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation at the Ladies’ Sports Hall, the championship runs until Wednesday and features 1,152 male and female athletes representing more than 46 countries across four categories: kids, cadets, juniors and seniors.

Twenty weight divisions were contested in the male and female cadet categories. Gold medals in the male category went to Uzbekistan’s Zinnurayn Fazliddinov in the under-30kg division, the UAE’s Mohamed Obay in the under-37kg division, Kazakhstan’s Abdullin Satybaldy in the under-41kg division, Kazakhstan’s Ulugbek Ermetov in the under-45kg division, Kazakhstan’s Nurmukhamed Orken in the under-49kg division, Kazakhstan’s Alinur Adil Kassin in the under-53kg division, Kazakhstan’s Eduard Li in the under-57kg division, Kazakhstan’s Arslan Kabdosh in the under-61kg division, Tunisia’s Youssef Gharbi in the under-65kg division and Iraq’s Kamal Shams Al-Din in the over-65kg division.

In the female category, gold medals were won by Kazakhstan’s Maryam Namakhunova in the under-29kg division and her compatriot Zhanel Kabdulkarimova in the under-33kg division, Uzbekistan’s Zarina Abdusaitova in the under-37kg division, Morocco’s Nour Bouain in the under-41kg division, Kazakhstan’s Amina Malik in the under-44kg division, Indonesia’s Balqis Nur Afianti in the under-47kg division, the UAE’s Majida Alketbi in the under-51kg division, Uzbekistan’s Azimakhon Hamidova in the under-55kg division, Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Abdukhalilova in the under-59kg division and Uzbekistan’s Kumush Abdulkarimova in the over-59kg division.

Following the conclusion of the competitions, Rashid Al Hajri, Assistant Secretary-General of the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation, presented awards to the top three finishers in the various weight divisions.

The championship continues tomorrow with 20 weight divisions in the male and female junior categories.

The championship, classified as a G1 event that awards world-ranking points, features 697 male and 455 female athletes, along with more than 20 Olympic and world champions. Competitions are being held over four days in morning and evening sessions, covering 76 weight divisions across the four categories.

The Qatar national team is represented by six athletes: Noor Mohammed, Maram Al Fetnasi, Widad Al Dosari, Ali Emam, Mohammed Ashraf and Mohammed Yassin Bali. A further 113 male and female athletes from local Qatari clubs are also participating.

Faraj Al-Fadhel, head of the Kuwaiti delegation participating in the sixth Qatar Open Taekwondo Championship, praised the championship’s distinguished organisation. He said Qatar had become a model to follow in organising international sports championships, thanks to its extensive capabilities and high professional standards at every level.

Al-Fadhel told Qatar News Agency: "This is the sixth edition of the championship, and each time Qatar surprises us with something new and strives to offer the best. This reflects the scale of the work undertaken by the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation under the leadership of Eid Ali Al Meraikhi and its commitment to developing the championship and raising its level year after year, strengthening its position on the global taekwondo map." He added that Qatar’s success in organising numerous international championships and sporting events was a source of pride for people throughout the Gulf and the Arab world.

He said the competitions were being held at an exceptionally high technical level, with the participation of an elite group of leading athletes, giving the championship considerable strength and competitiveness while helping participants gain experience through high-level competition.

Al-Fadhel said the Kuwaiti delegation included 13 national team athletes, alongside several athletes representing clubs. He expressed hope that they would deliver distinguished performances and achieve positive results.

Yazid Ben Allaoua, President of the Algerian Taekwondo Federation, also praised the extensive efforts of the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation to deliver an outstanding championship at every level, including its organisation, logistics and provision of the best possible conditions for participating delegations.

Ben Allaoua told QNA: "We thank our brothers at the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation for this wonderful and distinguished organisation, and for the warm welcome and generous hospitality we have experienced since our arrival. This is not unusual for Qatar, which has always sought to offer the best and continuously develop and improve the organisation of sports championships. Qatar’s achievements in sport are a source of pride for all of us as Arabs."

He said the Algerian national team was participating in the championship for the fourth consecutive time because of its strong reputation and growing stature, as well as its high technical level and the distinguished athletes who travel from around the world to compete.

The Algerian federation president said the participation of leading athletes from Europe, Asia and Africa reflected the championship’s standing and the trust it enjoyed among national federations and athletes internationally. He added that the championship’s technical level was exceptionally high and competition was strong, with distinguished athletes from different schools across Europe, Asia and Africa. This, he said, clearly demonstrated that the Qatar Open Taekwondo Championship had developed a strong reputation, with athletes eager to participate and benefit from its high competitive standard.

Ben Allaoua said the Algerian delegation was participating with its leading athletes as part of its efforts to deliver strong performances and compete for the highest positions. He expressed hope that they would achieve positive results matching the championship’s stature and the ambitions of Algerian taekwondo.

Mahdi Al Jadidi, taekwondo technical expert at the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation, said the Qatar Open Taekwondo Championship held considerable technical and competitive importance because it was classified among the ten-point events in the world-ranking system. He said this gave the championship additional value for participating athletes and national teams seeking to collect points, improve their international rankings and strengthen their prospects of reaching the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Al Jadidi told QNA that the championship’s importance was heightened by the connection between the points collected by athletes and the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. This had generated considerable interest among national teams that understood the value of competing in championships approved within the international ranking system and sought to use the opportunity to achieve their technical objectives and improve their athletes’ performance.

He said the championship featured national teams with a long history and prominent presence in taekwondo, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan. Their extensive competitive experience added strength and intensity to the contests and raised the level of challenge. Their participation also enhanced the championship’s value, allowing athletes to compete against different technical schools and benefit from facing champions with extensive international experience.

He continued: "Some national teams are participating with the aim of achieving positive results and collecting as many points as possible to help their athletes improve their world-ranking positions. The current stage is particularly important for champions aspiring to reach the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. We therefore see a clear determination among participants to deliver their best performances, which is directly reflected in the strength of the competition and the championship’s high technical level."

Al Jadidi said the championship’s technical level had been praised by specialists and coaches, given the strong performances and closely contested matches delivered by the national teams and athletes. He noted that the participation of world and Olympic champions clearly demonstrated the strong reputation earned by the Qatar Open Taekwondo Championship and the confidence it enjoyed among federations and national teams from different countries.

He stressed that the championship’s success reflected the efforts of the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation to organise and host events that attracted leading world champions and provided athletes with a suitable competitive environment. Hosting such events, he said, helped strengthen the international presence of Qatari taekwondo and supported the sport’s development locally.

Al Jadidi concluded that the distinguished international participation, high technical standard and importance of the world-ranking points all strengthened the championship’s standing and confirmed its value to different national teams. He said Qatar’s hosting of the competition demonstrated its leadership in organising major sporting events and its ability to provide suitable conditions for the success of international championships in accordance with the highest organisational and technical standards.

Source: QNA

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