100 Young Afghan Taekwondo Athletes Compete for 40 Selection Places

One hundred young taekwondo athletes from five Afghan provinces gathered in Kabul for a competition offering 40 places in a junior selection squad. The one-day event opened a pathway for emerging competitors, although the names of those selected have not yet been announced.

21 October 2026

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN | BY SARA AMIRI

One hundred young taekwondo athletes from five Afghan provinces entered a selection competition in Kabul on Wednesday, competing for 40 places in a junior squad.

The one-day tournament brought together participants from Kabul, Ghazni, Kunduz, Parwan and Paktia, giving young competitors from different parts of the country an opportunity to compete for selection.

Organisers from the Khorasan-Afghanistan Taekwondo Association described the event as the 14th edition of their junior open competition.

The selection process is intended to identify promising athletes and create opportunities for their continued development.

With 100 participants competing for 40 available places, fewer than half of those entering the tournament could advance to the selected group.

That competitive balance gives the event a purpose beyond determining the winners of individual bouts.

For young athletes, selection competitions can provide an early measure of performance against opponents from other provinces. They also allow coaches and organisers to observe competitors under tournament conditions rather than relying exclusively on training performances.

The involvement of five provinces is particularly significant because it extends the selection process beyond athletes based in the capital.

However, the opportunity will have lasting value only if selection is followed by regular coaching, structured competition and a clear development programme.

The organisers said the competition was designed to identify leading young talents and support their progress in taekwondo.

The announcement did not establish the names of the 40 selected athletes or provide a detailed timetable for their next stage of training.

Those details will be important in assessing how the selection process translates into opportunities for the competitors.

For Afghanistan’s emerging taekwondo athletes, Wednesday’s event represents an opportunity to enter a more competitive development environment.

Whether that opportunity produces long-term progress will depend on what follows the selection.

Source: Khorasan-Afghanistan Taekwondo Association announcement, reported by Khorasan Times, 21 October 2026.

Image caption: Young taekwondo athletes take part in a junior selection competition in Kabul, where 100 participants from five provinces competed for 40 squad places.

Image credit: Original photographer and image reuse rights to be confirmed.