The Kazakhstan Open 2025 international taekwondo tournament
has kicked off in Astana. Running from August 14 to 16 at one of the capital’s
sports arenas, the event has brought together more than 750 athletes from 22
countries, including Olympic champions and top-ranked competitors. For the
first time in Kazakhstan, the competition will feature new electronic gloves
and the upgraded KPNP K-2 scoring system. Spectators will also witness the
debut performance of the World Taekwondo demonstration team. The prize fund
totals nearly 16 million tenge. According to the organizers, the tournament is
part of the official World Taekwondo calendar and serves as a key stage in
preparations for the 2026 Grand Prix Final, as well as Kazakhstan’s bid to host
the 2027 World Championships. This year, special attention is being given to
new formats, including the development of virtual taekwondo - a discipline that
is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide.
«E-sports, which we call virtual taekwondo, is very popular,
among young people especially. As you know, in 2027, IOC decided to organize
Olympic e-sports games with the Olympic medal events, and taekwondo is in the
program. Yesterday, we had a good discussion with the Ministry of Sports and
Tourism, and they were very much interested in introducing virtual taekwondo in
Kazakhstan,» said World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue.
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