Youth taekwondo flash mob brings energy to Tashkent ahead of Junior World Championships
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Under the bright lights of Tashkent’s Olympic Village Square, lines of young taekwondo athletes moved in rhythm Friday evening, their collective calls echoing across the plaza. The flash mob — made up of 2,026 participants — captured the growing excitement ahead of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships. The Uzbekistan National Olympic Committee and the Uzbekistan Taekwondo Association organized the event in the lead-up to the global competition, which opens in Tashkent, Sunday. It drew members of the World Taekwondo Performance Team and thousands of aspiring athletes from local clubs. The number of performers, 2,026, symbolized the championship year and reflected the idea that taekwondo is practiced by people of all ages and backgrounds. The young athletes filled the square in tightly ordered rows, their movements rising and falling in perfect time. Each kick, block and poomsae sequence unfolded with steady rhythm as instructors guided the formations from the sidelines, giving the plaza the feel of one unified motion. The World Taekwondo Performance Te
