WANA (May 22) – Iranian male fighters delivered a stellar performance on the second day of the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, securing two gold medals, while the women’s squad faced a tough round of eliminations.

 

Five Iranian athletes took to the mat (shiyapchango) today. While the men’s team celebrated podium finishes, two female fighters suffered early exits, bringing the total number of eliminated athletes under head coach Mahrouz Saei to four over the first two days.

 

Men’s Division: Zandi and Bakhtiari Claim Gold

-58 kg Category: World Champion Abolfazl Zandi secured the gold medal after a dominant run. After receiving a first-round bye, Zandi defeated the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Ali and Jordan’s Mohammad Bassam.

 

He then decisively outperformed Uzbekistan’s Otajonov in the semifinals to book his ticket to the finals. In the gold-medal match, Zandi faced South Korea’s highly decorated Jang Hui, winning in two straight rounds with a significant point gap to claim the title.

 

-74 kg Category: Amirsina Bakhtiari earned Iran’s second gold of the day following a grueling campaign. Bakhtiari opened with a victory over Vietnam’s Dang Pham before pulling off a major upset against Saudi Arabia’s Tareg Hamedi—the Tokyo Olympics karate silver medalist who recently transitioned to taekwondo.

 

Bakhtiari then defeated Kazakhstan’s Beyrembay to reach the final, where he edged out China’s Zhao Shan in a breathtaking match to secure the gold medal.

 

-74 kg Category: Iran’s second representative in this weight class, Radin Zeynali, started strong by defeating South Korea’s Seo Kang but was subsequently eliminated after losing to China’s Zhao Shan.

 

Women’s Division: Early Exits for Team Iran

-49 kg Category: Mahla Momenzadeh opened her campaign with a victory over the Philippines’ Myang-in, but was eliminated in her second bout after falling to China’s Ma Jing.

 

-73 kg Category: Baran Nemati faced China’s Xi Song in a closely contested, three-round thriller, ultimately losing the match and bowing out of the tournament.

 

On the opening day of the championships yesterday, the Iranian men’s team had already secured one gold and one silver medal, while two members of the women’s team were eliminated.

Abolfazl Zandi and Amirsina Bakhtiari on the second day of the Asian Taekwondo Championships. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Abolfazl Zandi and Amirsina Bakhtiari on the second day of the Asian Taekwondo Championships. Social media/ WANA News Agency