Kurdish athlete Yalda Mohammed Saleh has won a silver medal at the 2026 World Taekwondo Hanmadang, earning second place in the women’s knife-hand breaking competition.
Representing the Kurdistan Team under the Iraqi delegation, Saleh competed in the Senior I and II category at the international championship, held in South Korea.
Saleh secured second place in the women’s knife-hand breaking event, placing her among the top competitors at one of the world’s major taekwondo Hanmadang competitions. Competition records for the event list her as “Yalda Mohammed Saleh” and identify her as a member of the Kurdistan Team representing Iraq.
Her achievement adds to a growing list of accomplishments by Kurdish athletes competing on international stages and highlights the participation of athletes from the Kurdistan Region in major global sporting events.
The World Taekwondo Hanmadang features traditional taekwondo disciplines and demonstrations, including breaking, self-defense and other technical events, bringing athletes from different countries together to compete in specialized categories.
Saleh’s silver medal in South Korea represents a significant international achievement for the Kurdish athlete and the Kurdistan Team.
The result was reported by Kurdish media outlets in early August, with footage and competition records showing Saleh receiving second place in the knife-hand breaking event.
