DUSHANBE, October 17, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s taekwon-do (International Taekwon-do Federation or ITF) championships concluded in Dushanbe on October 15.
More than 217 athletes from all regions of the republic participated in these competitions. Dushanbe athletes with 19 golden, 17 silver and 27 bronze medals won the competition. Sportsmen from the northern province of Sughd took second place, wining 2 golden, 2 silver and 10 bronze medals. Gorno Badakhshan won one silver and two bronze medals and athletes from Khatlon won one bronze medal. The team from Gorno Badakhshan participated in the championships for the first time.
A main objective of the competition was to select athletes to participate in the Asian ITF Taekwon-do Championships that will be held in New Delhi on November 9-14 and the European Cup in St. Petersburg set for December 9-12.
Mirsaid Yahyayev, the head of Tajikistan’s ITF Taekwon-do Federation, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that the Tajik national team had hoped to participate in the competitions, “but unfortunately for lack of funds we cannot send our sportsmen.”
He said potential sponsors have not replied. ”I believe our sportsmen would perform well if they were to participate in the New Delhi and St. Petersburg contests,” Yahyayev said.
