WT World Cup Team Championships:
Iran stunned by Thailand, crashes out in men’s first round
Iran’s men’s team suffered a shock first-round exit at the World Taekwondo World Cup Team Championships after a dramatic defeat to Thailand in Chuncheon, South Korea, on Tuesday.
Head coach Payam Khanlarkhani fielded reigning Asian champion Amirsina Bakhtiari, Asian bronze medalist Amirreza Sadeqian, and Mohammadhossein Yazdani in the starting lineup as Iran began its title defense against a Thai side that ultimately prevailed in straight rounds to advance to the semifinals.
Iran made a sluggish start to the opening round, falling behind in the opening seconds before recovering quickly to seize control through a series of effective attacks. Timely substitutions by Khanlarkhani, who was making his debut as Iran’s head coach, helped shift the momentum, and Iran appeared to be cruising to the round victory with a 55-40 lead and just five seconds remaining.
However, the match took a dramatic turn after Iran’s final substitution. The newly introduced athlete was caught off guard immediately upon entering the contest, conceding a crucial score that sparked a late Thai comeback. Thailand overturned the deficit in the closing moments to claim the opening round.
Iran responded strongly in the second round, opening up a commanding advantage early and maintaining control for much of the contest. The Iranian team led comfortably midway through the round before a string of errors allowed Thailand to fight back and erase the deficit.
Iran rallied once again to level the score, setting up a tense finish as the teams remained deadlocked in the closing seconds. The round ended in a tie, but under the competition rules, Thailand was declared the winner after recording a spinning kick during the match, with that technical criterion serving as the tie-breaker.
With six titles, Iran remains the most successful men’s team in the history of the competition.
The tournament continues today with the women’s competition, where Iran will be represented by Yalda Valinejad, Hasti Mohammadi, Baran Nemati, and Fereshteh Ahmadi.
Valinejad arrives fresh off a bronze-medal finish at the Asian Championships in May, while 20-year-old prospect Mohammadi will look to build on her breakthrough campaign at last year’s Islamic Solidarity Games, where she claimed bronze on her senior international debut.
Nemati and Ahmadi, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back after missing out on the podium at the Asian Championships.