Taranto 2026: Four Medals for Morocco in Taekwondo
Morocco concluded its taekwondo campaign at the 20th Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026 with a total of four medals: one gold, two silver and one bronze, following two days of competition on 22 and 23 August 2026.
The first taekwondo medal, which was also Morocco’s first medal of the Games, came on Saturday through Amina DEHHAOUI, who claimed silver in the women’s -57 kg category. The Moroccan taekwondo athlete progressed through the quarter-finals and semi-finals to reach the final, where she finished as runner-up.
On Sunday, Morocco added three more taekwondo medals to its tally.
In the men’s +80 kg category, Soufiane ELASBI claimed gold. He defeated Spain’s Ivan GARCIA MARTINEZ 2-0 in the semi-final before securing the title with another 2-0 victory over Croatia’s Ivan SAPINA in the final. His success earned the Moroccan delegation its first gold medal of Taranto 2026.
In the men’s -80 kg category, Haitam ZARHOUTI won silver. After advancing to the final, the Moroccan finished runner-up following a closely contested bout against Tunisia’s Firas KATOUSSI, which ended 1-2.
In the women’s -67 kg category, Nada LAARAJ completed Morocco’s taekwondo medal haul with bronze. She secured her place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Montenegro’s Andrea PERISAJ, before facing Türkiye’s İşıl ZAFERin the last four.
The results in Taranto add to a strong year for Moroccan taekwondo. At the 2026 African Championships in Bamako, Morocco collected 15 medals, including six golds, with Amina DEHHAOUI, Haitam ZARHOUTI and Soufiane ELASBI all crowned African champions, while Nada LAARAJ secured silver.
Their performances at Taranto 2026 build on those continental results, with all four athletes once again reaching the podium, this time against competitors from across the Mediterranean.
