'We could win a taekwondo gold at Tokyo Olympics': Uzbek taekwondo chief

By Baek Byung-yeul

Uzbekistan taekwondo fans had expectations that their fellow countryman Dmitriy Shokin would claim the country’s first Olympic medal in taekwondo at last year’s Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.

The 2015 World Taekwondo Championships winner almost grabbed the chance as he advanced to the bronze medal contest in the men’s 80 kilogram event, but couldn’t overcome South Korea’s Cha Dong-min after allowing a point in the extra-time sudden-death.

Aiming for a more fruitful result in taekwondo at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev decided to establish a taekwondo major in the National University of Uzbekistan starting October after meeting with the World Taekwondo (WT) President Choue Chung-won last month.

To gain more knowhow to nurture future talented taekwondo athletes, Parpiev Botir Rakhmatovich, president of the Uzbekistan Taekwondo Association, recently visited Korea and met with Choue.

“Last month, Choue had a meeting with President Mirziyoyev in Uzbekistan as our country hosted the inaugural World Taekwondo President’s Cup-Asian Region Taekwondo Championships in Tashkent. After the meeting, the president decided to launch a taekwondo department in the National University of Uzbekistan, and I am here to ask an advice on curriculum content of the new taekwondo department,” Parpiev Botir told The Korea Times, Friday.

“We have been running a taekwondo department in the State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport since 2009. The decision to launch another taekwondo department in the national university would help us to foster more talented taekwondo practitioners and trainers,” said Parpiev Botir.

The Uzbekistan taekwondo chief said the popularity of the martial art sport has blossomed locally and many taekwondo athletes of his country have been displaying growing presence in the world.

“During the World Taekwondo President’s Cup-Asian Region Taekwondo Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan topped the overall medal count with 26 gold medals, 22 silver and 48 bronze. As we have many talented taekwondo athletes, the government is trying to foster more talented taekwondo athletes,” he said.

Parpiev Botir added that the country’s goal at the 2020 Olympics would be to win a gold medal in taekwondo. “As we have many competitive taekwondo athletes, we are aiming to win a gold medal in Tokyo.”