Lusail: The fifth Qatar International Taekwondo Championship continued in full swing for the second consecutive day at Lusail Arena. Organized by the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo, and Karate Federation (QTJKF), the championship will culminate on Monday, featuring 1,021 male and female athletes, alongside 289 coaching and administrative officials, representing 175 clubs and national federations from 48 countries.
According to Qatar News Agency, competitors are divided into four divisions: cadets, juniors, youths, and seniors. Matches are contested across 76 weight classes: 10 male and 10 female cadet categories, 10 male and 10 female junior categories, 10 male and 10 female youth divisions, and eight men’s and eight women’s senior weights.
The second day delivered tightly contested bouts in the junior brackets for both genders, producing several standout results. In the boys’ under-65 kg category, Hassan Mustafa Al Suwaiq claimed gold, Qatar’s Hamada Bara took silver, and bronze was shared by Kazakhstan’s Alihan Omeraly and South Korea’s Yoo Hun Lee. In the over-65 kg division, Iraq’s Shams Al-Din Kamal secured gold, Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al-Meshikhis earned silver, and bronze went to Palestine’s Taleb Haji and Iraq’s Mazen Akkawi.
In the under-49 kg class, Qatar’s Ahmed Abdullat took gold, Bahrain’s Mohammed Al Zuwadi earned silver, and bronze went to Jordan’s Ahmed Abu Ammara and Qatar’s Ibrahim Abdullat. In the under-53 kg category, Kazakhstan’s Ralef Sazazov won gold, South Korea’s Hyun Ji-Jae took silver, and bronze was awarded to Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al Khawar and Qatar’s Abdullah Zia.
On the girls’ side, in the under-59 kg bracket, UAE’s Shama Al Suwaidi captured gold, Dana Khamis earned silver, and Kuwait’s Hanaa Ashmoui took bronze. In the over-59 kg category, UAE’s Melissa Mirzalimova claimed gold, the Netherlands’ Manal Barqawi earned silver, and bronze went to Kuwait’s Ghalla Al Assaf and Qatar’s Rehab Azi. In the under-29 kg division, Saudi Arabia’s Radina Kaabi topped the podium with gold, while Algeria’s Ikhlas Nour Al Farhi secured silver.
At the close of the day, medals were presented across all categories by QTJKF Assistant Secretary Rashid Mubarak Al Hajri and board member Salem Mansour Al Marri. Competition resumes Sunday with youth-division bouts across 20 weight categories. The Qatari squad fields eight athletes: Nour Mohammed, Maram Al Fatnasi, Ghazlan Al Dosari, Mohammed Ashraf, Ajlan Al Kuwari, Mohammed Yassin Bali, Ali Imam, and Mubarak Al Kuwari. Eighteen local clubs also contribute 102 athletes and 18 coaches, distributed as 28 cadets, 37 juniors, 22 youths, and 15 seniors.
Mohammed Adel, Chairman of the Championship Referees Committee, praised Qatar’s coordinated organization and the competitive level exhibited during the first two days. He highlighted the participation of 42 referees from around the world, including international Qatari referee Kulthum Al Mutawa, noting that decisions were fair, transparent, and reinforced by the Video Review system. Experienced referees ensured the contests remained unencumbered by disputes.
For the first time, the cadet division employed a state-of-the-art electronic scoring and sensor system, previously reserved for senior-level events such as the Paris Olympics and the Taekwondo World Championships in China, a refinement never before applied in earlier international editions, he pointed out. Regarding the surge in participation, Adel emphasized the championship’s reputation as a global magnet for athletes. He also noted the tournament’s evolution, including the expansion of competition courts from four in the previous edition to six this year.