Kazakh taekwondo athletes kick off final preparations for World Championships
The season’s premier taekwondo championships offers Kazakh athletes an important chance to consolidate their international rankings and compete among the elite, Kazinform News Agency cites the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Recently, Warsaw, Poland, hosted the Polish Open, an international G-1 category tournament. Although Kazakhstan’s top athletes did not compete, the team still earned a place on the podium. Nodira Akhmedova (-49 kg) advanced to the final, claiming a silver medal.
The entire national team competed at the Grand Prix series tournament in Muju, South Korea, where Nodira Akhmedova and Damir Shulenov (68 kg) both earned medals, leading Kazakhstan to a third-place overall finish.
Since the start of 2025, Kazakh athletes have consistently performed at a high, competitive level, as evidenced by their medals at prestigious international tournaments. The arrival of a new head coach has also reshaped the team’s approach, delivering tangible results.
The World Taekwondo Federation also recently released its updated global rankings, where Kazakhstan’s Samirkhon Ababakirov retained the top spot in the under-63 kg division. In addition, three other members of Kazakhstan’s national team also entered the top ten, with Beibarys Kablan ranking seventh in the +87 kg division. Batyrkhan Toleugali climbed to the eighth place in the -80 kg division, while Nodira Akhmedova took the 10th place in the -49 kg category.
The team’s main goal now is thorough preparation for the World Championships.
“The Kazakhstan national team has entered the final stage of preparations for the World Championships. Around 30 athletes from across the country have gathered at a training camp in the Turkistan region, where the focus is on improving physical conditioning and refining technical and tactical skills. The second stage will be held in Almaty, where we will continue training and bring the athletes to peak form ahead of the tournament,” head coach Yesbol Sultanov told the Federation’s press service.
The training process, which includes all of the team’s leading athletes, is being carried out at a high level. Steady, though modest, successes highlight their quality, as Kazakhstan’s taekwondo fighters have proven capable of competing with the world’s best, defeating accomplished opponents in various tournaments.
It is worth noting that this year’s Taekwondo World Championships will take place on October 24–30.
As reported earlier, names of Kazakh athletes who have received individual scholarships from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to prepare for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (USA) were announced.
