Rajshahi University students win six medals, including two golds, at taekwondo championship in Nepal

Six students of Rajshahi University have won two gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals at the first Sauraha International Open Taekwondo Championship held in Nepal. They achieved the success competing against players from different countries in the competition held from October 30 to November 1.

Gold medallist Md. Shahin Ali is a student of the 2021-22 session of the university's Department of Folklore and Social Development Studies. Alongside gold medals at national and international level, he has also won gold at inter-university competition and, in inter-department competition, became Grand Champion for a second consecutive time. Shahin is president of the Rajshahi University Taekwondo Club.

The other gold medallist, Ridwan Taskin Ratul, is a former student of the Department of Painting, Oriental Art and Printmaking. He earlier won silver at the World University Taekwondo Festival held in South Korea in 2018. He is currently chief instructor of ARC Global Taekwondo Academy in Rajshahi and holds a second Dan black belt recognised by South Korea's Kukkiwon and Jidokwan.

The silver medal was won by Md. Naim Ali, a former student of the 2011-12 session of the Bangla Department. He won the medal competing in the individual Poomsae category for the 33-to-49 age Masters group. A gold medallist at national and international level, Naim currently teaches at Rajshahi Cantonment Public School and College and is also chief instructor of Taekwondo Sports Academy.

The three bronze medals were won by Sabah Kaneta Tariq of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department, session 2021-22, Kamruzzaman of the same department, session 2023-24, and Mariam of the Physical Education and Sports Science Department, session 2022-23.

Sabah Kaneta Tariq won gold at the first Inter-University Taekwondo Competition 2026, silver at the 22nd Senior/Junior National Taekwondo Competition, and gold, silver and bronze at inter-department competition. She is currently vice-president of the Rajshahi University Taekwondo Club.

Kamruzzaman also won gold at the first Inter-University Taekwondo Competition 2026, bronze at the 22nd Senior/Junior National Taekwondo Competition and silver and bronze at inter-department level, and is currently the club's publicity secretary. Mariam has won bronze and silver at national level and gold at inter-university competition, won gold at inter-department taekwondo in 2024 and 2025, and is currently the club's sports secretary.

The Rajshahi University team at the competition was coached by Kamruzzaman Chanchal, deputy director of the university's Physical Education Department and taekwondo coach. He is the club's taekwondo expert adviser, holds a Kukkiwon-recognised fifth Dan black belt and a Jidokwan-recognised sixth Dan black belt, is an international taekwondo master and a former coach of the Bangladesh national taekwondo team.

The competition was held from October 30 to November 1 in Sauraha, Chitwan District, Nepal. Around 500 players from nine countries including Australia and the Maldives competed in the Kyorugi (fight) and Poomsae (technique demonstration) categories.