• MARTIAL ARTS

• Sportsbeat Correspondent 4 months ago

‎Iran triumph as World Taekwondo U-21 Championships end in Nairobi

Curtains came down on the inaugural World Taekwondo U-21 Championships in Nairobi with a colourful closing ceremony on Saturday, as nations from across the world shared medals in a thrilling display of youth talent and competitive excellence.

Iran emerged as the overall winners, topping the medal table with 10 medals—4 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze—underlining their dominance.

Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) followed closely in second place with the highest total medal haul of 11 (3 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze).

‎‎Turkey finished third overall with a total of five medals, including three gold, while South Korea also collected five medals, driven largely by silver finishes with four silver and one gold.

Greece placed fifth after harvesting six medals, most of them bronze, with five bronze and one silver to underline its depth in the lower podium places.

‎‎Kazakhstan enjoyed a strong showing with two gold and one bronze medal, while Morocco walked away with one gold and two bronze. North African giants Egypt and Tunisia tied with two medals each, picking up one gold and one bronze apiece to showcase the region’s growing influence in global taekwondo.

‎‎Spain secured three silver medals, while Brazil claimed four bronze medals. Several other nations — including India, Bulgaria, Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Jordan, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine and the United States — also made podium appearances with one or two medals each, confirming the truly global spread of talent at the championships.

‎‎A special highlight of the final day was Tunisia’s Wafa Masghouni, who clinched the women’s 62kg gold medal.

Speaking moments after her victory, an emotional Masghouni credited her success to discipline and family support.

“I am strong and ambitious, and my family has always supported me to stay focused on training. Here I am with the gold,” she said jubilantly.

‎‎During the closing ceremony, Kenya officially handed over the championship flag to Bulgaria, who will host the 2027 World Taekwondo U-21 Championships, marking the transition to the next chapter of the global youth event.

‎‎World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue led athletes, officials and fans in a vibrant, carnival-like celebration that sealed what many have described as an unforgettable maiden edition of the U-21 Championships in Nairobi.