Uzbekistan and Morocco Shine at Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games Taekwondo Competition

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The Taekwondo competition at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games showcased elite performances over three days of action in Riyadh, bringing together World Champions, Olympic medallists and continental titleholders from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. At the end of competition, Uzbekistan and Morocco topped the medal standings, while Iran demonstrated depth and consistency across both men’s and women’s events.

Uzbekistan led the medal tally with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals, followed closely by Morocco, which finished with three gold and two bronze. Iran secured two gold, two silver and four bronze, becoming the nation with the highest total number of podium finishes.

Men’s Highlights

• In the −74 kg division, Zaid Kareem of Jordan delivered an outstanding performance to win gold, adding a major international title to his career.

• Morocco celebrated gold in −82 kg, with Haitam Zarhouti showcasing tactical accuracy and physical dominance.

• Uzbekistan claimed gold in −67 kg through Diyorbek Tukhliboev, and also captured gold in the +82 kg heavyweight division with Marat Mavlonov.

• Jordan opened the competition with gold in −54 kg, won by Jafar Aldaoud, while Uzbekistan’s Jakhongir Khudayberdiev and Tunisia’s Mohamed Zoughlami shared bronze.

• Iran’s Ali Asghar Alimoradian topped the −60 kg category, with notable bronze from Gashim Magomedov of Azerbaijan, a recently confirmed World Championship medallist.

Women’s Highlights

• Saudi Arabia celebrated on home soil as Dunya Abutaleb claimed gold in −51 kg, defeating Türkiye’s Elif Sude Akgül in the final. Abutaleb entered the event after finishing as World silver medallist earlier in the year.

• In −46 kg, Iran’s Saina Karimi secured gold after overcoming strong opponents, including World Champion Emine Göğebakan of Türkiye, who finished with bronze.

• Morocco dominated the women’s divisions with gold medals from Amina Dehhaoui in −57 kg and Nada Laaraj in −63 kg, reinforcing Morocco’s growing prominence in women’s Taekwondo.

• Uzbekistan took gold in −70 kg through Ozoda Sobirjonova, while Nigeria’s Elizabeth Anyanacho claimed bronze.

• The +70 kg heavyweight category saw an impressive performance by Sude Yaren Uzunçavdar of Türkiye, who defeated Uzbekistan’s Svetlana Osipova in the final. Iran’s Melika Mirhosseini and Jordan’s Rama Abu Al-Rub took bronze.

Men’s competition

−54 kg
1. Jafar Aldaoud (Jordan)
2. Abdullah Al-Mushraf (Saudi Arabia)
3. Jakhongir Khudayberdiev (Uzbekistan)
3. Mohamed Zoughlami (Tunisia)

−60 kg
1. Ali Asghar Alimoradian (Iran)
2. Mohsen Rezaee (Afghanistan)
3. Mohamed Elsayed Selim (Egypt)
3. Gashim Magomedov (Azerbaijan)

−67 kg
1. Diyorbek Tukhliboev (Uzbekistan)
2. Ömer Faruk Dayıoğlu (Türkiye)
3. Aaron Kobenan (Ivory Coast)
3. Nurbek Gazez (Kazakhstan)

−74 kg
1. Zaid Kareem (Jordan)
2. Najmiddin Kosimkhojiev (Uzbekistan)
3. Rami Eissa (Egypt)
3. Ali Khoshravesh (Iran)

−82 kg
1. Haitam Zarhouti (Morocco)
2. Amir Reza Sadeghian (Iran)
3. Saleh Al-Sharabaty (Jordan)
3. Yiğithan Kılıç (Türkiye)

+82 kg
1. Marat Mavlonov (Uzbekistan)
2. Bauyrzhan Khassenov (Kazakhstan)
3. Soufiane Elasbi (Morocco)
3. Moatez Ifaoui (Tunisia)

Women’s Competition

−46 kg
1. Saina Karimi (Iran)
2. Minaya Akbarova (Azerbaijan)
3. Emine Göğebakan (Türkiye)
3. Mariama Zakari (Niger)

−51 kg
1. Dunya Abutaleb (Saudi Arabia)
2. Elif Sude Akgül (Türkiye)
3. Oumaima El-Bouchti (Morocco)
3. Rozhan Goudarzi (Iran)

−57 kg
1. Amina Dehhaoui (Morocco)
2. Hatice Kübra İlgün (Türkiye)
3. Kamila Aimukasheva (Kazakhstan)
3. Hasti Mohammadi (Iran)

−63 kg
1. Nada Laaraj (Morocco)
2. Hatice Pınar Yiğitalp (Türkiye)
3. Diyorakhon Azizova (Uzbekistan)
3. Razan Al-Rawashdeh (Jordan)

−70 kg
1. Ozoda Sobirjonova (Uzbekistan)
2. Yalda Valinejad (Iran)
3. Sıla Nur Gençer (Türkiye)
3. Elizabeth Anyanacho (Nigeria)

+70 kg
1. Sude Yaren Uzunçavdar (Türkiye)
2. Svetlana Osipova (Uzbekistan)
3. Melika Mirhosseini (Iran)
3. Rama Abu Al-Rub (Jordan)

Official Medal Standings (Top Nations)

• Uzbekistan: 3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze

• Morocco: 3 gold, 0 silver, 2 bronze

• Iran: 2 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze

Weight Categories Used in the Competition

Men: −54 kg, −60 kg, −67 kg, −74 kg, −82 kg, +82 kg
Women: −46 kg, −51 kg, −57 kg, −63 kg, −70 kg, +70 kg

MAS: Media About Sport.
TKD: Taekwondo.
MASTKD: Worldwide Leader on Taekwondo Information.

Sources Used:
• Inside the Games (20 November 2025)
• Official Results – Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025
• Tehran Times (18–20 Nov 2025)
• Saudi Press Agency (SPA)

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