Taekwondo fighters claim two medals in Bahrain

Taekwondo competitions have started at ISF Gymnasiade 2024 held in Manama, Bahrain, Azernews reports.

On the first day of the competition, two athletes of Azerbaijan rose to the podium.

Eljan Aliyev (78 kg) won a silver medal in the boys' competition after losing to his Iranian opponent in the final.

Among the girls, Seyidkhanim Mammadova (52 kilograms) was awarded the bronze prize.

A total of 3,687 athletes under 18 years of age from 71 countries in 26 sports are competing in ISF Gymnasiade 2024, which will last until October 30. Azerbaijan is represented in the Gymnasium by 160 athletes in 16 sports.

Taekwondo is one of the most popular sports in Azerbaijan.

The National Taekwondo Federation has trained many prominent athletes since its foundation in 1992.

In 2018, Radik Isayev (80 kg) was crowned European Champion for the second time in his career.

Another national taekwondo fighter Milad Beigi Harchegani (80 kg) became the world taekwondo champion in 2019.

In 2021, Azerbaijani female taekwondo athlete Minaya Akbarova claimed a bronze medal at the European Taekwondo Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. She won the bronze medal in the 46 kg weight class.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani taekwondo team won five medals at the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games.

The taekwondo fighters won one gold, two silver, and two bronze in Konya, Turkiye.

The medals came from Farida Azizova (gold medal), Javad Aghayev, Minaya Akbarova (silver medals), Hashim Mahammadov, and Patimat Abakarova (bronze).

In total, Azerbaijani sportsmen captured 99 medals at the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games, including 29 gold, 36 silver, and 34 bronze.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, taekwondo fighter Gashim Magomedov (58 kg) and boxer Alfonso Dominguez (92 kg) enriched the country's medal haul with silver medals.

The national team secured a total of seven medals, including two gold, two silver and three bronze.