26th World Taekwondo Championships kick off in Baku with President Aliyev and First Lady in attendance.
The 26th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships kicked off in Baku on Wednesday with an opening ceremony. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva watched the proceedings. They were joined by President of the World Taekwondo Federation, Chungwon Choue, who presented an honorary black belt to the First Lady. The President and First Lady also met with Choue. The opening ceremony featured a parade of participating teams, followed by addresses from several figures in the world of sport, including the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach.
The Championships coincide with the 50th anniversary of the World Taekwondo Federation and the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, a former president of Azerbaijan. 949 athletes from 145 countries will compete for gold in the Baku Crystall Hall, across 16 weight categories. The championship welcomes almost 2,000 guests from over 150 countries, with Azerbaijan becoming the second CIS country to host the World Taekwondo Championships, after Russia; and the seventh European country to do so.
