Double Gold for China on Day 2 of Bangkok 2025 World Grand Prix Challenge
BANGKOK, Thailand – Players from Team China secured both the gold medals up for grabs today at the Bangkok 2025 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge.
BANGKOK, Thailand – Players from Team China secured both the gold medals up for grabs today at the Bangkok 2025 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge.
Day 2 of the four-day event at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in the Thai capital started with a minutes’ silence in honor of the recently deceased Queen Mother Sirikit. Then action got underway in two weight categories.
The W+67kg category saw Belgium taking silver, and Korea bronze. The M-58kg saw Koreans winning silver and bronze.
W+67kg
The final saw Belgium’s Sarah Chaari take on Lei Xu of China in a messy but explosive match that pitted Chaari’s power against Xu’s speed.
In Round 1, the Belgian led 4-0, until Xu got back in the game with a head kick – then another. Chaari surged, adding another point, but Xu took the round, 6-5.
In Round 2, Chaari applied pressure, fighting forward. Xu could not land her high kick, granting Chaari the round on superiority. Round 3 was equally furious, ending with the score even. Xu won a very tough victory on superiority.
The bronze match saw Agoritsa Artemia Kitsiou of Greece fall to a clearly superior Da-bin Song of Korea in Round 2.
Korea Claims Double Gold on Opening Day of Bangkok 2025 World Grand Prix Challenge
M-58kg
The final pitted Korea’s Jong-myeong Kim against China’s Kefen Huang.
Round 1 saw fast, active, stylish play from both men. Kim went ahead in the final seconds but nearly lost it as he retreated, repeatedly, off-mats. He narrowly clinched the round.
In Round 2, Huang landed to the head, then the fight fell into a series of clinches, forcing the ref to work overtime. Kim’s ax kick missed Huang by a millimeter, taking the match to the third.
Round 3 saw forward fighting by both men; Kim lost a gamjeom for grabbing. With just one point on-board, neither player could afford a mistake – then Huang went 4-1 up with another head shot. Thirteen seconds remained. Kim exploded into serial spinning kicks, evening the score in the last half second (!) – but Huang won on superiority.
Korean Tae-joon Park won bronze via no contest. His opponent, fellow Korean Jun-seo Bae, was unable to compete due to injury suffered earlier in the day.
The battle in Bangkok resumes tomorrow, with the M+80kg and W-67kg categories being contested.
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