Taekwondo Youth Championships, 2 gold medals, Ukraine “in danger”
Ukraine wins 2 gold medals at Taekwondo Youth Championships “I don’t give up on my dreams even in the face of danger”
“Even in very difficult and dangerous situations,
we are working hard and not giving up on our dreams.
Ukraine is currently a dangerous area.”
Nazari Kotiash
Coach Nazari Kotiash, who led the Ukrainian team to the 2023 World Taekwondo Federation (WT)
Youth Championships, said this through WT on the 30th (local time).
The Ukrainian national team is participating in the competition being held at the Hills Hotel Arena in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the third day, two silver medals were won,
which was Ukraine’s best performance since the outbreak of war in competitions hosted by WT across all age groups. 카지노사이트
World Youth Championships
Although there is only one day left until the end,
the team has already surpassed the performance (3 bronze medals) of the World Youth Championships held in Sofia, Bulgaria last year.
Coach Kotiasi said, “We came here with a desperate heart.
Although we did not get the gold medal we were aiming for, we got two very valuable silver medals.
“I am so happy and proud of the players,” he said.
He continued, “I know better than anyone that the players have been training in a difficult and dangerous environment.
“We are winners,” he said. “There is still one more day left.”
“We will not relax in order to create an even bigger miracle,” he added.
Ukrainian Players
Most of the Ukrainian players, who have found it difficult to convene and train normally
after the outbreak of war with Russia, are training in third countries such as Poland.
A total of 16 people participated in 16 weight classes for both men and women,
most of them prepared for the competition in Germany, Spain, Poland, and Italy.
Of course, there are players who never left their home country engulfed in war.
This is the case with Kirill Kuznyetsou and Polina Tuftsi, both 13-year-olds,
who won silver medals in the men’s and women’s under 168cm (43-59kg) classes, respectively.
WT reported that the two have been training in the capital city of Kiiu, where shells frequently explode.
Kirill Kuznyetsou
Kuznyetsou, who lost the championship in the finals to Mexico’s Guillermo Manuel Cortes with a round score of 0-2,
celebrated his silver medal by waving the Ukrainian flag he had prepared at the awards ceremony.
“I am grateful to my family, coaches, and fellow athletes who supported me even in difficult conditions,” Kuzhnetsou said.
Polina Tuftsi
Toufchi struggled in the early stages against her final opponent, Iran’s Lausanne Soufi, and won the first win.
However, he lost two rounds in a row, and it is said that
he was unable to leave the stadium for a while, perhaps because he was so frustrated.
Tufchi said, “I’m so disappointed that I couldn’t win the gold medal.
Still, I’m happy at this moment,” and added, “I hope people remember us.
We are winners, and although difficult circumstances will continue in the future, we will never give up.”
Meanwhile, by the third day of the competition,
the Korean team had won 7 medals in the men’s division (1 gold medal, 2 bronze medals) and the women’s division (2 gold medals, 2 bronze medals).