Male Most Valuable Player (MVP) Park Tae-joon (middle) of Korea and female MVP Merve Dincel (right) of Turkey at this year’s World Taekwondo Championships on June 4 pose for photos while holding their awards at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. (World Taekwondo)
By Cao Thi Ha
The men’s national taekwondo team has won its fourth straight world title.
Domestic media including Yonhap News on June 7 said Korea three days before won the men’s division at this year’s World Taekwondo Championships with three gold medals and one silver in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Park Tae-joon of Kyung Hee University took the gold at 54 kg, Bae Jun-seo of Ganghwa-gun County Office at 58 kg and Kang Sang-hyun of Korea National Sport University at 87 kg. Jin Ho-jun of Suwon City Hall earned the silver at 68 kg.
In his debut at the competition, Park earned Most Valuable Player honors for the men.
The women, however, failed to medal in any of the eight weights they competed in.
In a first since 1987, when the women’s division was launched at the tournament in Barcelona, Spain, the Korean women came home with no medals.
Head coach An Hong-youb was named Best Team Coach for the men and Ali Shahin of Turkiye (Turkey) received the same honor for the women’s division.
shinn11@korea.kr
