Iraq Taekwondo Team Exits Asian Championship in Mongolia

Iraq’s national taekwondo team has ended its campaign at the Asian Championship in Mongolia after two defeats that eliminated the squad from the tournament. The results came in closely contested bouts against higher-ranked regional opponents and closed Iraq’s participation in the competition. National athlete Aiham Mehdi lost narrowly in the 63-kilogram category to Abdul Aziz Al-Muhairi of the United Arab Emirates, falling in the final seconds of a tense match. Another Iraqi competitor, Hussein Mansour, was defeated by South Korean champion Jong Kim in the under-58-kilogram division. Following those results, Iraq was knocked out of the championship. The team’s exit came after it failed to advance beyond the opening rounds in Mongolia. Federation official Ahmad Al-Gurawi said the participation offered an important opportunity for the athletes to gain experience and compete against opponents at a high technical level.