Hemen Mahdi, the Kurdish taekwondo star, gained international recognition by becoming a world champion in the taekwondo tile-breaking competition held in South Korea.
On July 26, 2024, Mahdi, representing the Kurdistan taekwondo team and hailing from Erbil, broke a record in his event category and earned the gold medal at the World Championship in South Korea.
Over the course of a week, 5,200 athletes from 64 countries competed in the tournament, which took place in Seoul, with Mahdi being the only Kurdish competitor. He broke 12 tiles, securing first place among formidable rivals in the breaking category, where he not only won the gold medal but also set a new record.