Belarus’ Turavinau secures bronze at 2025 World U21 Taekwondo Championships 

MINSK, 4 December (BelTA) – Raman Turavinau of Belarus has secured the first medal for the Belarusian team at the 2025 World U21 Taekwondo Championships in Kenya, BelTA has learned.

The Belarusian athlete became a medalist in the men’s -80kg weight category. Raman Turavinau started with a win over Greece’s Rafael Pappa, followed by a quarterfinal victory against South Korea’s Jae Won Park. His run ended in the semifinal with a loss to Iran’s Amirreza Gholami, earning him the bronze medal. This year, Raman was also crowned champion at the 3rd CIS Games in Azerbaijan.

Also in action on 4 December, Belarusian athlete Maksim Bandarevich (-63kg) powered past opponents from Rwanda and Mexico before falling in the quarterfinals to a Bulgarian fighter. Meanwhile, recent European silver medalist Yuliya Vitko (-57kg) was eliminated in the round of 16.

The competition in Kenya will continue until 6 December, with six Belarusians set to compete on 5 and 6 December. The 2025 World U21 Taekwondo Championships have brought together about 700 athletes from 75 countries.