Uzbek capital to host World Taekwondo Junior Championships

Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships volunteers Nozima Abdumajidova, left, and Javohir Esanboyev pose in front of the event banner at the Intercontinental Hotel in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Young taekwondo athletes will face one another on a global scale, as a record 986 competitors from 115 countries are expected to take part in the World Taekwondo Junior Championships from April 12 to 17 in the capital of Uzbekistan, making this year’s tournament the largest in the event’s history.

The championships will be held at the Martial Arts Sports Complex in Tashkent’s Olympic City. Registration has surpassed the previous record of 963 athletes, set during the 2024 junior championships in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The entry list includes the Taekwondo Refugee Team, along with athletes competing under the federation flag.

Competition will be held across 10 men’s and 10 women’s weight divisions, for athletes aged 15 to 17. The men’s categories range from under 45 kilograms to over 78 kilograms, while the women’s divisions run from under 42 kilograms to over 68 kilograms.

Brazilian athletes participating in the Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships practice at the Olympic City Martial Arts Sports Complex in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Thursday, two days before the opening of the tournament. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

For many of the sport’s rising prospects, it will also be an early proving ground ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, just seven months away. The tournament is likely to offer the clearest indication yet of which junior athletes could emerge as medal contenders at the Youth Olympic Games, and also gives the sport a chance to present itself as a place where competitors from different nations, beliefs and backgrounds can face one another under shared rules.

“The World Taekwondo Junior Championships hold a special place in our sport,” World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won said. “They provide a vital platform to identify and nurture the next generation of elite athletes.”

Choue said the event would help shine a light on athletes who may shape the sport’s future. He also thanked the Uzbekistan Taekwondo Association, local authorities and organizers for their preparations.

Workers put the finishing touches on the competition area at the Olympic City Martial Arts Sports Complex in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Thursday, two days before the opening ceremony of the Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Tashkent is no stranger to hosting major taekwondo events. The city previously staged the 2019 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships and will host several related programs ahead of the junior competition, including an April 10 flash mob featuring 2,026 participants and the World Taekwondo Performance Team.

The World Taekwondo Council is also scheduled to meet in Tashkent on Friday, followed by the General Assembly on Saturday. On April 13, the city will host the 2nd Olympism and Peace Forum on the sidelines of the championships.