Six Lao Taekwondo athletes secured five medals, including two gold, one silver, and two bronze, at the Seongnam Open International Taekwondo Championship 2024 in South Korea on 21 July.
Among the medalists, two athletes stood out by clinching gold. Lattanaphone Lattanapaseuth from PMS Taekwondo Club in Vientiane Capital won gold in “fighting category,” while Maya Sone from Luang Prabang triumphed in a Poomsae category, which involves a sequence of Taekwondo techniques and fight matches.
Lattanaphone, elated by his victory, shared his experience with the Laotian Times, revealing that he trained five days a week for several weeks leading up the competition.
“It was quite a hard fight, but I’m happy I came out on top,” said the 13-year-old athlete.
Although he has previously competed in Thailand and won several medals, he noted that the South Korean competition was the biggest stage of his life.
“I was really excited to compete; I wanted to fight so badly,” said Lattanaphone’s clubmate, Nalinda Khemmala after winning a bronze medal in the fighting category.
Nalinda expressed confidence in improving her performance in future competitions.
Douangsivilay Phimmasone, owner of PMS Taekwondo Club, accompanied the athletes and expressed his pride and surprise at their achievements.
“I am very happy and did not expect my athletes to win a gold medal,” he said. Looking ahead, Douangsivilay mentioned that both Lattanaphone and Nalinda have more competitions lined up.
The PMS Taekwondo Club athletes are scheduled to participate in the E-San League in Khon Kaen, Thailand, on 27 July, the Hero International Taekwondo Championships 2024 in Bangkok from 10-12 August, and another international contest in Nongkhai on 18 August.
