LAHORE (Dispatches) -- Iranian taekwondo athletes claimed one gold, one silver and one bronze medal on the second day of the 2026 World Taekwondo President’s Cup Asia in Lahore, with Mehdi Haji Mousaei winning the men’s under-63kg title.
The Asian-region edition of the President’s Cup is being held at the Multipurpose Indoor Arena of Jinnah Sports Complex in Lahore from August 18 to 20 and carries a G3 ranking. The senior kyorugi competition is part of a five-day event in Pakistan that also includes other categories.
Haji Mousaei produced a strong run in the under-63kg division, beginning his campaign with a victory over fellow Iranian Ali-Asghar Alimoradian after receiving a first-round bye.
He then defeated Jordan’s Tariq 2-0 before recording another 2-0 victory over Russia’s Maxim Osin in the quarterfinals.
The Iranian continued his progress in the semifinals, defeating Kazakhstan’s Aziz Niyazov 2-0 to secure a place in the final.
Haji Mousaei then faced South Korea’s Jang Woo-hyeok in the title bout and won both rounds, 6-5 and 8-6, to claim the gold medal.
The victory adds another international title to the Iranian’s record. Haji Mousaei has previously won major international medals, including Asian championship gold, and Iranian taekwondo federation records identify him as one of the country’s leading competitors in the 63kg division.
Alimoradian, who had lost to Haji Mousaei earlier in the competition, was eliminated.
Iran also reached the podium in the women’s under-53kg category, where Shaparak Najafi won silver.
Najafi advanced to the final after three consecutive victories on her side of the draw, overcoming opponents from Uzbekistan, Belarus, Jordan, Britain and Pakistan. She defeated Pakistan’s Amina Ghazi 2-0 and Britain’s Elisha Shaw on her way to the title bout.
In the final, however, Najafi was beaten by Thailand’s Tanawatana, losing the opening round 8-5 and the second 3-2 to finish with the silver medal.
In the women’s under-67kg division, Saghar Moradi secured Iran’s third medal of the day.
Moradi opened with a 2-0 victory over Pakistan’s Bibi Bushra and followed it with another 2-0 win against South Korea’s Min-joo Kawa. She reached the semifinals but was defeated 2-0 by South Korea’s Rim Hyo-hong, earning the bronze medal.
Iran’s other competitors had less success.
In the women’s under-67kg division, Fereshteh Fathi advanced after Pakistan’s Khadija Islam withdrew in the opening round, but she was eliminated after a 2-0 defeat by Uzbekistan’s Ozoda Sobirjanova.
In the men’s under-80kg category, Mehran Barkhordari defeated fellow Iranian Amir-Reza Sadeghian 2-1 in the opening round. Barkhordari then lost 2-0 to Uzbekistan’s Jaisunov and was eliminated. Sadeghian also exited the tournament following his defeat.
The results gave Iran one gold, one silver and one bronze medal from the four weight classes contested on the day.
Iran had already produced a strong medal haul on the opening day of the competition, and the national team is continuing its preparations for major international events later in the year. The President’s Cup is a G3-ranked World Taekwondo event, making its results important for athletes competing at the international level.
The competition in Lahore concludes on Thursday with the remaining senior kyorugi weight classes. According to the official Asian Taekwondo Union calendar, the senior kyorugi competition runs through August 20.