2026 Asian Taekwondo Championships: Iran adds two more gold medals to tally

Iranian fighters secured two additional gold medals on Friday during the second day of the 27th Asian Taekwondo Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The second day of action at the M Bank Arena featured competitions across the men's -58kg and -74kg weight classes, alongside the women's -49kg and -73kg divisions. Competitors at the tournament are fighting for continental titles as well as qualification spots for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Reigning world champion Abolfazl Zandi captured the gold medal in the men's flyweight (-58kg) category with a dominant performance.

Zandi faced South Korea's Jang Hui-chan in the final, securing a commanding victory by winning two consecutive rounds. This victory marks Zandi's third consecutive major international title, adding to his gold medals at the Senior World Championships and the Under-21 World Championships.

Zandi began his tournament run with a first-round bye before defeating Mohammed Ali of the United Arab Emirates 2-0. He followed that up with another 2-0 victory against Jordan's Mohammad Bassam in the quarterfinals, before booking his place in the final by defeating Uzbekistan's Omonjon Otajonov.

Amir Sina Bakhtiari doubled Iran's gold medal count for the day by winning the men's lightweight (-74kg) division. Bakhtiari faced China's Zhao Shan in the final, winning two straight rounds to claim the championship title and officially secure his quota for the 2026 Asian Games.

Bakhtiari opened his campaign with a 2-0 victory over Vietnam's Dang Pham. He then advanced to the semifinals by defeating Saudi Arabia's Tareg Hamedi by the same scoreline, before clinching his final berth with a victory over Kazakhstan's Eldar Birimbay.

The double-gold performance on Friday follows a strong opening day for the Iranian delegation. On Thursday, reigning Olympic champion Arian Salimi won gold in the men's heavyweight (+87kg) category, while Yasin Valizadeh secured a silver medal in the men's flyweight (-54kg) division.

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