Azerbaijan ranks first at 2016 WTF World Team Championships
By Laman Ismayilova
The Azerbaijani men`s national taekwondo team won a gold medal of the 2016 WTF World Team Championships.
The national squad has gained victory over Korean fighters.
The Azerbaijani team included Mahammad Mammadov (63 kq), Aykhan Taghizade (68kg), Said Quliyev (74 kq), Milad Beigi Harchegani (80kg) and Radik Isayev.
Team competition – which pitches nation against nation in a tag-team format – is, for those familiar only with the individual game, a spectacle to behold. With no time for stand-off tactical play, the action is high-speed, high-altitude and high-octane: Athletes careen across the mats, unleashing flurries of taekwondo’s highest-scoring, most spectacular techniques.
In the male team championships, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Iran, Korea, Russia, Turkey and USA competed. Each team consisted of five athletes, plus one substitute, with a weight cap for the full team.
Taekwondo is one of the most popular sports in Azerbaijan. The National Taekwondo Federation has trained many prominent athletes since its founding in 1992. Many of those athletes now enjoy international recognition.
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova
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