Iran claims first men’s taekwondo world title in ten years

Iranian taekwondo athlete Abolfazl Zandi has claimed gold in the men’s under-58kg category at the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi, China. His victory marks Iran’s first men’s world title in ten years, reports IRNA, a partner of TV BRICS.

On the sixth day of the championships, two Iranian competitors took to the mat, with Zandi emerging as the standout performer. The young and promising fighter began his campaign with a confident win over a rival from Kosovo before defeating two-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Vito D’Aquila in straight rounds.

In the quarter-finals, Zandi faced Maksim Manenkov, the world’s top-ranked athlete in his division, and again won in two consecutive rounds, guaranteeing at least a bronze medal. He went on to beat Jesus Rodriguez in the semi-final before triumphing over a Russian opponent in the decisive final to secure the world title.

Zandi’s gold is Iran’s second medal at this year’s World Championships and the first men’s title for the national team in a decade. Iranian sports analysts have hailed his achievement as a “historic breakthrough” for the nation’s taekwondo programme.

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