Indonesia has once again reaffirmed its readiness as a host for world-class international sporting events through the staging of the 8th Asian Taekwondo Indonesia Championships 2026. This prestigious international-scale tournament marks the return of a major taekwondo championship to the country after an absence of nearly two decades. In addition to being a competitive arena, this event is also projected to be an important catalyst in boosting the national sport tourism sector.
Chairman of the Executive Board of Taekwondo Indonesia (PBTI), Lieutenant General TNI Richard Tampubolon, revealed that the hosting success was achieved through a tight bidding process, defeating strong competitors such as Malaysia and India. The championship was also organized to commemorate the 81st Anniversary of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) with full support from TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto. The presence of delegations from 36 countries across continents—Asia, Europe, to Australia—is proof of the world's high confidence in Indonesia.
High appreciation also came from the President of the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU), Kim Sang-jin, who praised the hospitality and professionalism of the organizing committee under the leadership of PBTI. In the opening ceremony, the government's commitment of support was reinforced with the presentation of honorary Kukkiwon DAN black belts to Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir and Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo. The event was also attended by a number of cabinet ministers, high-ranking TNI officials, and regional heads from various provinces.
On the competition mats, the Red and White team ("Merah Putih") delivered an impressive performance. As of Sunday (2/8/2026) afternoon, the Indonesian contingent successfully secured 6 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze medals. One of the gold achievements was contributed by national training athlete, Muhammad Hafizh Fachrur Rhozy, who competed in the recognized under 30 category. Hafizh stated that this G2-level event is highly crucial for national athletes to accumulate qualification points towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
In this championship, PBTI fielded its full strength by sending 31 national training (pelatnas) athletes, consisting of 20 athletes in the kyorugi category and 11 athletes in the poomsae category. The series of competitions runs tight, with the poomsae category held on August 1–2, followed by the kyorugi category on August 3–5, 2026.
