[By NBC-1TV K, Y Yi] SOFIA, Bulgaria (Aug 8, 2022) - Korea, Iran and Turkiye won the last gold medals of the Sofia 2022 World Taekwondo Junior Championships after six days of fantastic action which showcased Taekwondo’s strong future.
Korea also won two silver medals on a
day which reinforced their impressive form at the tournament and secured their
position at the top of the standings in both the men and women’s categories.
Montenegro also won silver which is the first ever medal the country has won at
a World Taekwondo event. Bronze medals were shared between Brazil, Spain,
Mexico, Great Britain, Chinese Taipei and Italy.
Following the conclusion of the
Championships, the following awards were presented:
Most Valuable Player Men: Inhyuk
Lee (Korea) M-78kg
Most Valuable Player Women: Sude
Yaren Uzuncavdar (Turkiye) W+68kg
Men Team Standing: Korea, Iran,
Kazakhstan, Thailand, Italy
Women Team Standing: Korea, Iran,
Thailand, Turkiye, Belgium
Best Men Team Coach: Kyoung Nam Kim
(Korea)
Best Female Team Coach: Seok Hwa Go (Korea)
Best Male Referee: Kun Yi Lee (Chinese
Taipei)
Best Female Referee: Victoria Turyk
(Canada)
Fighting Spirit Award: Bulgaria
Active participation Award: Mexico
The first final in the W-68kg drew
Montenegro’s Anđela Berisaj against Korea’s Hyo Rim Hong. The opening round was
a tense and tight affair with Berisaj narrowly edging Hong to take an early lead,
4-3. In the second round it was the turn of Hong to come out victorious as she
won 5-2. The deciding, third round followed a similar pattern and was very
close but it was Hong who came out on top, winning 7-5 to take gold.
In the M+78kg, Iran’s Abolfazl Abbasi Pouya
took and early and commanding lead against Korea’s Kuk Hwan Lyu winning the
first round 14-4. Lyu tried to turn the tide in the second round but Abbasi
Pouya was too strong and won 18-8 to add the World Junior title to his gold
medal at the World Cadet Championships in 2019.
The last final of the tournament matched Sude
Yaren Uzuncavdar from Turkiye with Sugee Jung of Korea in the W+68kg.
Uzuncavdar started the match strongly and won the first round 12-6. Jung upped
her game in the second round but couldn’t quite do enough to win the round as
Uzuncavdar won 8-7.
The host of the 2024 World Taekwondo Junior
Championships will be decided during the World Taekwondo Council Meeting on the
occasion of 2023 Azerbaijan World Taekwondo Championships.