Iran’s taekwondo men facing daunting road to glory
Iran will enter the taekwondo competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games with four world and Olympic champions in its men’s team, but a major change to the weight categories is expected to make the path to gold more difficult than in previous editions.
The taekwondo competition will kick off on Thursday, with Iran fielding full teams in both the men’s and women’s sections in poomsae and kyorugi.
For the first time, the kyorugi competition at the Asian Games will be contested in four Olympic weight classes, replacing the eight divisions used in earlier editions and the six-weight format adopted more recently.
The reduction in weight categories has brought several leading Asian contenders together in the same divisions, raising the level of competition, particularly for the gold medals.
South Korea remains a major force in world taekwondo, while China, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are also expected to field strong lineups in Aichi-Nagoya. Thailand, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will also have notable contenders.
Iran’s men’s team will be led by Abolfazl Zandi, Mahdi Hajimousaei, Amir Sina Bakhtiari and Arian Salimi, all of whom won gold at the 2026 Asian Championships.
Reigning world champion Zandi will compete in the 58kg division, which features 16 athletes. Jordan’s Jaafar Al-Daoud, ranked third in the world and seeded No. 1 in Nagoya, is regarded as one of his main rivals.
Zandi has previously defeated the Jordanian at the World Cadet Championships and will enter the Asian Games as the No. 2 seed, meaning the pair cannot meet before the final.
China’s Huang Kefen, Kazakhstan’s Tamirlan Tleules and Uzbekistan’s Asadbek Samandarov are among the other notable names in the division, while South Korea will be represented by An Hyang-sik.
Zandi’s technical variety, ability to attack with both legs and aggressive style make him one of Iran’s leading medal hopes in the lighter weight class.
Hajimousaei will compete in the 68kg division, which has 15 entrants. The Asian champion and 2023 world silver medalist has extensive international experience and has defeated several world and Olympic medalists during his career.
He has also developed his ability to use both legs in attack, addressing what had previously been considered a limitation in his style.
South Korea’s Mun Jin-ho, who recently won Grand Prix gold in Muju and is also an Asian champion, is among the leading contenders. Jordan’s Zaid Kareem, the 2024 Olympic silver medalist, Kazakhstan’s Samirkhon Ababakirov and Thailand’s 2025 world champion Banlung Tubtimdang are also expected to challenge for the podium.
Hajmousaei skipped the recent Grand Prix event to focus on preparations for Nagoya.
Bakhtiari will compete in the 80kg division, one of the most competitive categories in the tournament.
Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Jaysunov is among his principal rivals, while Jordan’s Olympic silver medalist Saleh Elsharabaty, Kazakhstan’s world U21 champion Batyrkhan Toleugali, China’s world silver medalist Xiang Qizhang and South Korea’s KANG Jaeg-won are also in contention.
Bakhtiari has been Iran’s leading performer at 74kg over the past two years and also produced strong performances when competing at 80kg.
His fighting spirit and technical variety have been among his main strengths, while his 2026 Asian Championship title demonstrated his ability to compete successfully against the continent’s leading athletes.
Salimi, the Olympic and Asian champion, will compete in the +80kg division.
The Iranian is seeded No. 1 in Nagoya despite being ranked third in the Olympic rankings and will receive a first-round bye in a 15-athlete field.
South Korea’s Kang Sung-hyun, a two-time world champion, is considered one of his toughest rivals. Salimi has faced Kang three times, winning two of those encounters.
Uzbekistan’s Marat Mavlonov, whom Salimi has defeated three times in recent months, Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-jen and Kazakhstan’s Beibarys Kablan, a world U21 champion, are among the other notable contenders.
Salimi has built a reputation for producing strong performances in high-pressure bouts and will be seeking another major title after his Olympic and Asian Championship successes.