World Taekwondo Championships to be held in Kazakhstan for the first time

The landmark decision for Kazakh sports was made in Wuxi, China, during a meeting of the World Taekwondo Federation held alongside the ongoing World Championships.

This historic announcement reflects global recognition of Kazakhstan’s growing stature in international sports. Representatives of all World Taekwondo Federation member countries unanimously supported Kazakhstan’s bid, noting the exceptional organization of previous international tournaments held in Astana.

“We have proven that Kazakhstan is capable of hosting world-class competitions at the highest level. The Kazakhstan Open, held in August in Astana, was a vivid example — bringing together more than 700 athletes and earning high praise from the President of World Taekwondo, Chungwon Choue and international delegations. In recent years, Kazakh taekwondo has made remarkable progress. Hosting the World Championships is not just a major sporting event for us, but also a great honor and responsibility. Taking place ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, this championship will serve as an important milestone and a symbol of recognition for our country’s contribution to the global development of taekwondo,” said Kudret Shamiyev, President of the Kazakhstan Taekwondo Federation.

The upcoming World Taekwondo Championships will be the first one ever held in Central Asia. The Federation plans to host the event in Astana in 2027.

Currently, 991 taekwondo athletes from 179 countries have gathered in Wuxi for the 2025 World Championships, taking place from October 24 till 30. Sixteen athletes are representing Kazakhstan at the prestigious tournament.

As reported earlier, Kazakhstan is set to shoot film about taekwondo founder Mustafa Ozturk.