Iranian taekwondo poomsae practitioner Marjan Salahshouri has pocketed the Islamic Republic’s first bronze medal at the 19th edition of Asian Games in China.
The 26-year-old Iranian sportswoman lost to Japanese opponent Yuiko Niwa by 6.440 points to 6.860 in the semifinal round of women’s individual poomsae competitions at Lin’an Sports Culture & Exhibition Center in the Eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou to finish in the third place.
She became Iran’s first bronze medalist at the continental event that kicked off on Saturday.
Poomsae, which became an official Asian Games medal discipline for the first time in 2018, consists of a series of attack and defense moves performed in a sequence.
The 19th edition of Asian Games, delayed a year due to China’s measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, is reportedly the country’s biggest sporting event in more than a decade in several metrics, with approximately 12,000 athletes from 45 nations competing in 40 sports.
The Games will be held in 56 venues, out of which 12 have been newly built.
While the schedule includes the more traditional events such as athletics and swimming, it will also feature sepak takraw, or kick volleyball; kabaddi, a mixture of team tag and wrestling; and wushu, a martial art, reflecting Asia’s diverse sporting culture.
Meanwhile, e-sports, breakdancing and sport climbing will be making their Games debut, in an effort to attract the interest of younger people.
