History of taekwondo
History of taekwondoTaekwondo arrives
The journey begins in Iran
National growth
Structures take shape
First world medal
Success on the world stage
Olympic medal
Hadi Saei’s pride
Golden era
Global standing secured
Pride continues
A new generation of champions
From beginnings in Iran to glory worldwide
The Iran Taekwondo Federation was founded in 1354. The sport became one of the country’s most popular official disciplines. Iranian athletes have earned major honors at world championships and the Olympics.
+30k
Organized athletes
+500
Clubs and boards
+30
Active provinces
+80
International medals
Stars who made history
Iran’s first Olympic medal
Hadi Saei
2000 Sydney — Bronze
Athens Olympic champion
Hadi Saei
2004 Athens — Gold
Olympic medalist
Yousef Karami
2004 Athens — Bronze
Beijing Olympic champion
Hadi Saei
2008 Beijing — Gold
World medalist
Sajjad Mardani
World Championships — Gold
A new generation of champions
Arian Salimi
Paris 2024 Olympics — Gold
Iran on the world stage
Iranian taekwondo has shone at the Olympics, World Championships, and Grand Prix events, becoming one of the strongest forces in Asia and the world. Iranian athletes keep earning medals and cementing Iran among the sport’s top powers.
Veterans and founders
The pillars of this path
Veterans who built Iran’s taekwondo foundations with experience and dedication, and kept this path lit.
Bijan Moghanloo
Head coach and national team veteran
Mohammad Poladgar
Former federation president
Hassan Zolfaghari
Veteran and national coach
Abbas Ali Fallahi
Among Iran taekwondo founders
Ali Mohammadi
Coach and national veteran
Mahmoud Rahnama
International referee and veteran
Iran taekwondo history gallery
