TEHRAN - There was double joy for Iran on the first day of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, Korea as Parnian Noori and Aynaz Nasiri won two gold medals.

Noori overcame China’s Yinuo Xu in an intriguing women’s -52kg final to become the first junior world champion crowned in Chuncheon, and her feat was later matched by her compatriot Nasiri, who staved off the challenge of Kazakhstan’s Nuray Kaznabek in the women’s -59kg.

Bronze medals went to Sila Irmak Uzunçavdar of Türkiye and Spain’s Noa Romero Fernandez in the -52kg weight category, and Ella Brewster of Canada and Croatia’s Marija Uglešić in the -59kg.

Iran has sent 16 boy and girl taekwondo athletes to the Championships in Chuncheon, to be held from Oct. 1 to 6.

There are 963 of the world’s most talented young athletes set to compete across 10 weight categories in both the men’s and women’s divisions.