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Afghanistan’s national taekwondo team has returned home after competing at the 2026 Asian Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo President’s Cup, securing one bronze medal and valuable ranking points for the Asian Games. The Afghan team participated in the event with the support of the National Taekwondo Federation and the General Directorate of Olympic, Physical Education and Sports. Afghan athletes competed against several prominent taekwondo practitioners from Asia and around the world. A welcome ceremony was held for the team in the presence of Dad Mohammad Payenda Akhtari, Director of Olympic Affairs at the country’s sports administration, officials of the National Taekwondo Federation, athletes and taekwondo enthusiasts. The competition was held in Lahore, Pakistan, with the Poomsae events beginning on August 17 and the Kyorugi events running from August 18 to 21. More than 500 athletes from around 40 countries participated. Afghanistan was represented by six athletes in Kyorugi, three in Poomsae, two international referees, two coaches, two assistant coaches and a team manager. Mohammad Gul Mohammadi delivered a strong performance in Kyorugi to win the bronze medal for Afghanistan. In Poomsae, Obaidullah Shirzai was recognized for the best performance of the competition. Meanwhile, Hikmatullah Zain and Omid Sahak each earned 7.5 Asian Games ranking points after notable performances against strong opponents. The Kabul Times