1st Qatar Int'l Taekwondo Open kicks off with Kuwaiti participation

DOHA, March 6 (KUNA) -- The 1st Qatar International Taekwondo Open kicked off Friday with participation of 800 male and female athletes representing 45 countries, including Kuwait by Al-Arabi and Al-Kuwait sporting clubs.
The four-day competitions, held at Aspire Zone, Ladies Sport Hall in Doha, are divided into two divisions; Gyeorugi (sparring) with 690 participants, and Poomsae (movement) with 110 participants.
Kuwaiti players are taking part in this championship due to its importance and status as a professional tournament classified by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), Ahmad Al-Qattan, head of coaching staff of Al-Arab SC, stated to KUNA.
It is also certified as part of championships qualifying for the Olympic Games, he said, affirming that his players are eager to achieve positive results during their participation, especially since the team includes high-ranked Taekwondo players such as Athbi Al-Azmi, Talal Sarab, Ahmad Al-Sarraf, and Nasser Sarab who attained a number of gold and silver medals this season on local and Gulf levels. (end) nnd.ma