Westminster student takes home gold at international taekwondo competition

Shohruz Khudoyberdiev joined students from 54 countries who took to the mat to compete in a variety of competitions over the three-day event. To take home the gold in the C-class division of the 63kg weight category, he had to fight two other competitors, with one holding a higher belt and much more experience. Despite their differences, Khudoyberdiev managed to hold them off and come out victorious.

On the first match he said: “As the match unfolded, I relied heavily on the guidance of my coaches. Their instructions whispered in the midst of the fight served as invaluable cues for me to adapt and apply specific techniques and kicks. It was a surreal moment when I implemented their advice and witnessed the positive results materialise before my eyes.”

The competition was spread across three days and saw athletes from the International Taekwon-Do Federation (IFT) and World Taekwondo (WT) in attendance. Each day had a range of colour belt events and black belt events, giving a stage to a huge variety of talent from across the globe.

On the win Khudoyberdiev added: “Winning felt like a wave of relief and happiness washing over me. It wasn't just about the medal but the culmination of hours of training and perseverance. It is worth mentioning that luck also played a big role. The victory was a humbling reminder of my coaches' support and my parents and close relatives' encouragement. It was a deeply gratifying moment, knowing that all the hard work had paid off and I was able to make them proud.”

Khudoyberdiev started practicing taekwondo in October 2023 and since then has competed and won medals in a variety of competitions including gold at the BUCS Autumn Championships in November, silver at the BUCS Winter Championships in February and bronze at the BUCS Spring Championships in March. He is now looking forward to competing in future competitions starting this Autumn.

Taking part in the event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.  

Find out more about taekwondo opportunities at the University of Westminster.