2026 European Taekwondo Championship

The 2026 European Taekwondo Championship is being organized by the European Taekwondo Union (ETU) from 11 to 14 May 2026 in Munich, Germany. The championship, which includes both senior and para categories, is taking place at BMW Park Munich. The event features approximately 520 athletes from over 40 countries competing across various weight categories over four days. Türkiye participated in this championship with a total of 36 athletes: 16 in taekwondo and 20 in para taekwondo.

^{2026 European Taekwondo Championship logo (}euro2026taekwondo⁾

The championship is a combined event hosting both the European Taekwondo Championship for Seniors and the European Para Taekwondo Championship. Officially named EURO26, the event is hosted by Germany with Munich as its central venue. The tournament occupies a prominent position in the international sports calendar ahead of the 2028 FIFA World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The matches are being held at BMW Park Munich, one of Germany’s modern multi-purpose sports facilities. This arena, home to the FC Bayern Munich basketball team, also hosts national and international sporting events concerts and corporate functions. The venue’s central location strong transportation infrastructure and high-capacity organizational capabilities provide ideal conditions for an international championship. The official address is Grasweg 74 81373 Munich.

Preparation training sessions were held at BMW Park on 9 and 10 May 2026. On 10 May weigh-ins and para-classification procedures along with team captains and medical meetings took place at Hotel Leonardo Munich City South. The championship competitions began on Monday 11 May and concluded on Thursday 14 May. Each day featured two sessions: Session 1 at 09:00 in the morning and Session 2 in the afternoon. The official Opening Ceremony was held on Wednesday 13 May at 13:00.

Over the four days of the championship athletes competed in various weight categories across both senior and para divisions.

• Day 1 (11 May) — Seniors: Men -68 kg and +87 kg; Women -46 kg and -67 kg; Para: Men -58 kg Women -47 kg.
• Day 2 (12 May) — Seniors: Men -58 kg and -80 kg; Women -53 kg and -62 kg; Para: Men -63 kg Women -52 kg and -57 kg.
• Day 3 (13 May) — Seniors: Men -63 kg and -87 kg; Women -57 kg and -73 kg; Para: Men -70 kg and -80 kg Women -65 kg.
• Day 4 (14 May) — Seniors: Men -54 kg and -74 kg; Women -49 kg and +73 kg; Para: Men +80 kg Women +65 kg.

Approximately 520 athletes from over 40 countries participated in the championship. The matches were broadcast live and free of charge via the Eurovision Sport platform. Daily draw results and competition brackets were published on the European Taekwondo Union’s official website. After the first two days of the tournament Türkiye Belarus Georgia Great Britain and Hungary emerged as the leading medal-winning nations.

National Team Technical Director Alper Kavcı made statements during a press day held on 9 May 2026 at the Istanbul Cebeci Sports Complex. Kavcı noted that Türkiye entered the championship as the reigning world champion and emphasized the team’s goal of achieving top position as a unit. He stated that while the Munich championship does not directly impact qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics the points earned will contribute to the Grand Prix standings and are crucial for securing Olympic quotas.

Türkiye Taekwondo Federation President Bahri Tanrıkulu highlighted that the team consists of a young roster ahead of the championship. Tanrıkulu recalled that Türkiye won a total of 16 medals at the 2024 European Championship: 2 gold 5 silver and 1 bronze in taekwondo and 1 gold 4 silver and 3 bronze in para taekwondo. He expressed high expectations for similar success at the 2026 event.

After the completion of the first day of the championship Tanrıkulu announced that Türkiye had won six medals and affirmed that medal wins would continue throughout the event. Following the second day he congratulated all athletes noting that the Turkish national anthem had been played three times in Germany.

Türkiye participated in the 2026 European Taekwondo Championship with a total of 36 athletes: 16 in taekwondo and 20 in para taekwondo. According to National Team Technical Director Alper Kavcı the squad includes both experienced athletes and young competitors participating in the championship for the first time. Federation President Bahri Tanrıkulu emphasized prior to the event that the team has a youthful structure.

Throughout the history of the European Taekwondo Championship prior to 2026 Türkiye had won a total of 193 medals: 64 gold 69 silver and 60 bronze. This record places Türkiye second on the all-time medal table just one gold medal behind Spain. The Turkish national team which won the overall ranking in the last two editions aims for its third consecutive and ninth overall European championship title in this event. Türkiye has also been the top team in para taekwondo in the last two championships.

Taekwondo athletes participating in the championship are:

• Women – Emine Göğebakan (46 kg) Elif Sude Akgül (49 kg) Merve Dinçel Kavurat (53 kg) Hatice Kübra İlgün (57 kg) Hatice Pınar Yiğitalp (62 kg) Işıl Zafer (67 kg) Sude Yaren Uzunçavdar (73 kg) Nafia Kuş Aydın (+73 kg).
• Men – Kaan Yelaldı (54 kg) Enes Kaplan (58 kg) İbrahim Öter (63 kg) Berkay Erer (68 kg) Ferhat Can Kavurat (74 kg) Yiğithan Kılıç (80 kg) Orkun Ateşli (87 kg) Emre Kutalmış Ateşli (+87 kg).

Para taekwondo athletes are:

• Women – Nurcihan Ekinci Gül (47 kg) Büşra Emire (47 kg) Meryem Betül Çavdar (52 kg) Lütfiye Özdağ (52 kg) Gamze Özcan (57 kg) Tuana Çelik (57 kg) Zehra Orhan (65 kg) Rümeysa Karagöz (65 kg) Fatma Nur Yoldaş (+65 kg) Sümeyye Sude Öztunç (+65 kg).
• Men – Ali Can Özcan (58 kg) Hamza Tarhan (58 kg) Mahmut Bozteke (63 kg) Haktan Keskin (63 kg) Fatih Çelik (70 kg) Yusuf Yünaçtı (70 kg) Emre Bulgur (80 kg) Kerem Çetinkaya (80 kg) Adem Arda Özkul (+80 kg) Osman Ertürk (+80 kg).

The 20-year-old Berkay Erer seeded number one in the men -68 kg category competed in five matches on 11 May 2026 to win the gold medal.

^{Berkay Erer (AA)}

Berkay Erer received a bye in the first round. In the round of 32 he defeated Liviu Bugneac of Moldova 2-0. He then eliminated Nimrod Krivishkiy of Israel with the same score in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals he defeated Apostolos Panagopoulos of Greece in two rounds and then beat Dennis Baretta of Italy 2-0 in the semifinals. In the final he faced Volodymyr Bystrov of Ukraine and won 2-0 to become European champion.

Berkay Erer did not lose a single round in any of his five matches and won all his bouts 2-0 to claim the gold medal. This victory marks his first European championship title in the senior category. Prior to competing in the senior division he had won European and world titles in junior age categories. Berkay Erer is licensed to İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor.

Merve Dinçel Kavurat seeded number one in the women -53 kg category won the gold medal in the matches held on 12 May 2026.

^{Merve Dinçel Kavurat (AA)}

Merve Dinçel Kavurat advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Maryam Mamadova of Azerbaijan. She then defeated Anna Frassica of Italy in the quarterfinals and Adiba Asimi of Greece in the semifinals to reach the final. In the final she faced Erika Karabeleva of Bulgaria and won 2-0 to claim the championship.

This championship is Merve Dinçel Kavurat’s third European title. The 26-year-old athlete previously won two European titles and also claimed first place at the 2025 World Taekwondo Championship held in Wuxi China. Prior to the championship she stated that she had already earned two world and two European titles.

Hatice Pınar Yiğitalp competing in the women -62 kg category was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

The 22-year-old Enes Kaplan competing in the men -58 kg category won his first European medal a bronze at this championship.

Enes Kaplan defeated Tedi Likometi of Albania in the round of 32 Domen Molj of Slovenia in the round of 16 and Scutaru Tristan of Romania in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he faced Georgii Gurtsiev of Belarus and lost the match earning the bronze medal. Yiğithan Kılıç in the men -80 kg category was eliminated in the round of 32.

^{Mahmut Bozteke (AA)}

Mahmut Bozteke competing in the Para K44 men -63 kg category won the gold medal on 12 May 2026. He defeated Adnan Milad of Israel in the final to claim the title. The bronze medals were awarded to Sandro Megrelishvili of Georgia and Joel Martin of Spain.

Prior to this championship Mahmut Bozteke had also won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Erdem Aslanoğlu General Secretary of İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor the athlete’s club stated that this victory marks Bozteke’s fifth European title since his Paralympic championship.

^{Gamze Özcan (AA)}

Competing in the Para K44 women -57 kg category Gamze Özcan won the gold medal on 12 May 2026. She defeated Sophie Caverzan of France 2-0 in the final to become champion. The bronze medals went to Tuana Çelik of Türkiye and Nata Ochigava of Georgia.

In her post-match statement Gamze Özcan said she lost the first round of the final but recovered to win the championship. She also noted that her husband won a bronze medal at the same championship after withdrawing from the semifinal due to injury and dedicated her gold medal to him on the occasion of their wedding anniversary.

In the Para K44 women -47 kg category Nurcihan Ekinci Gül won silver and Büşra Emire won bronze. In the Para K44 men -58 kg category Hamza Tarhan and Ali Can Özcan both won bronze medals. In the Para K44 women -52 kg category Meryem Betül Çavdar won silver and in the Para K44 women -57 kg category Tuana Çelik won bronze.

On the third day of the championship, 20-year-old national athlete Sude Yaren Uzunçavdar competed in the women’s 73 kg category and entered the tournament in the round of 16. In this round, Uzunçavdar faced Moldovan opponent Loredana Porcescu and eliminated her to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinal, she defeated Montenegrin representative Andela Berisaj and faced British athlete Rebecca McGowan in the semifinal. Uzunçavdar won the semifinal match 2–1, securing her place in the final. In the final, she competed against Belgian athlete Sarah Haari, a former world and European champion and Olympic bronze medalist. Sude Yaren Uzunçavdar lost the final match 2–0 and concluded the tournament with a silver medal. This is the second silver medal the athlete has won at this championship, having previously won one in 2024.

Competing in the women’s 57 kg category, Hatice Kübra İlgün began the tournament by defeating Lithuanian athlete Gerda Meistininkaite in the round of 16. In the quarterfinal, she eliminated Polish representative Nikol Lisowska to qualify for the semifinal. There, she faced Belarusian athlete Yuliya Vitko, the tournament’s second seed. İlgün lost the semifinal match 2–0 and was unable to reach the final, but secured a bronze medal. The athlete, who previously won one gold and two silver medals at European Championships, added her fourth European Championship medal with this result.

In the men’s category at the championship, Turkish athletes Ibrahim Öter in the 63 kg division and Orkun Ateşli in the 87 kg division were eliminated in the round of 16 by their opponents.

^{Yusuf Yünaçtı (AA)}

Competing in the K44 men’s 70 kg category, Yusuf Yünaçtı defeated Moldovan athlete Petru Cataraga in the round of 16. In the quarterfinal, he faced fellow Turkish national athlete Fatih Çelik in the same weight class and won the match to advance to the semifinal. In the semifinal, he eliminated Polish opponent Maciej Kesicki to qualify for the final. In the final, he faced Azerbaijani athlete Imamaddin Khalilov, a Paralympic champion. Yusuf Yünaçtı won the final match 2–0 and claimed the gold medal, becoming the European champion.

Competing in the K44 men’s 80 kg category, Emre Bulgur defeated Azerbaijani athlete Orkhan Jafarov in the quarterfinal to advance to the semifinal. In the semifinal, he faced Georgian representative Lasha Tkemaladze and lost the match, finishing the tournament with a bronze medal.

Representing Türkiye in the K44 women’s 65 kg category, Zehra Orhan defeated Italian athlete Giulia Cassar in the quarterfinal. Advancing to the semifinal, she faced Greek athlete Christina Gkentzou and lost the match, securing a bronze medal at the European Championship.

In addition to Fatih Çelik, who was eliminated by Yusuf Yünaçtı in the quarterfinal of the K44 men’s 70 kg category, Kerem Çetinkaya in the K44 men’s 80 kg category and Rümeysa Karagöz in the K44 women’s 65 kg category completed the championship without winning a medal.

Monitoring the competition from Germany, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Hamza Yerlikaya and Turkish Taekwondo Federation President Bahri Tanrıkulu issued official statements regarding the results of the championship. The statements referenced the athletes’ training camps, their performances in championship matches, the overall team standing, and the support provided by Türkiye’s Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak and the President of the Republic of Türkiye. Following the medal ceremony, Yusuf Yünaçtı, who won the gold medal, declared that he dedicated his medal to the Turkish nation in recognition of the intense training efforts that led to this achievement.

The 2026 European Taekwondo Championship was held in Munich, Germany, from 11 to 14 May 2026, under the organization of the European Taekwondo Union (ETU). The championship, which included both Senior and Para categories, took place at BMW Park Munich. The event featured approximately 520 athletes from over 40 countries competing across various weight categories over four days. Türkiye participated with a total of 36 athletes: 16 in taekwondo and 20 in para taekwondo.

^{2026 European Taekwondo Championship logo (}euro2026taekwondo⁾

The championship was organized as a unified event combining the European Taekwondo Championship for Seniors and the European Para Taekwondo Championship. Officially named EURO26, the event was hosted by Germany with Munich as its central venue. The tournament holds a prominent position in the international sports calendar preceding the 2028 FIFA World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The matches were held at BMW Park Munich, one of Germany’s modern multi-purpose sports facilities. This arena, home to the FC Bayern Munich basketball team, also hosts national and international sporting events, concerts, and corporate functions. The venue’s central location, strong transportation infrastructure, and high-capacity event capabilities provided ideal conditions for an international championship. The official address is Grasvweg 74, 81373 Munich, Germany.

Preparation training sessions were conducted at BMW Park on 9 and 10 May 2026. On 10 May, weigh-ins and para-classification procedures, along with team captains’ and medical meetings, were held at Hotel Leonardo Munich City South. The championship competitions began on Monday, 11 May, and concluded on Thursday, 14 May. Each day featured two sessions: Session 1 at 09:00 in the morning and Session 2 in the afternoon. The official Opening Ceremony took place on Wednesday, 13 May at 13:00.

Over the four days of the championship, competitions were held across various weight categories for both Senior and Para athletes.

• Day 1 (11 May) — Seniors: Men -68 kg and +87 kg; Women -46 kg and -67 kg; Para: Men -58 kg, Women -47 kg.
• Day 2 (12 May) — Seniors: Men -58 kg and -80 kg; Women -53 kg and -62 kg; Para: Men -63 kg, Women -52 kg and -57 kg.
• Day 3 (13 May) — Seniors: Men -63 kg and -87 kg; Women -57 kg and -73 kg; Para: Men -70 kg and -80 kg, Women -65 kg.
• Day 4 (14 May) — Seniors: Men -54 kg and -74 kg; Women -49 kg and +73 kg; Para: Men +80 kg, Women +65 kg.

Approximately 520 athletes from over 40 countries participated in the championship. Matches were broadcast live and free of charge via the Eurovision Sport platform. Daily draw results and competition brackets were published on the official website of the European Taekwondo Union. After the first two days of the tournament, Türkiye, Belarus, Georgia, Great Britain and Hungary emerged as the leading medal-winning nations.

National Team Technical Director Alper Kavcı made statements during a press day held on 9 May 2026 at the Istanbul Cebeci Sports Complex. Kavcı noted that Türkiye entered the championship as the reigning world champion and emphasized the team’s goal of achieving top position as a unit. He clarified that while the Munich championship would not directly impact qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, the points earned would contribute to the Grand Prix standings and be crucial for securing Olympic quotas.

Turkish Taekwondo Federation President Bahri Tanrıkulu highlighted prior to the championship that the team consisted of a young roster. Tanrıkulu recalled that at the 2024 European Championship, Türkiye had won 16 medals: 2 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze in taekwondo, and 1 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze in para taekwondo. He expressed high expectations for similar success at the 2026 event.

Following the completion of the first day of the championship, Tanrıkulu announced that six medals had been won and affirmed that more medal successes would follow throughout the event. After the second day, he congratulated all athletes and noted that the Turkish National Anthem had been played three times in Germany.

Türkiye participated in the 2026 European Taekwondo Championship with a total of 36 athletes: 16 in taekwondo and 20 in para taekwondo. According to National Team Technical Director Alper Kavcı, the squad included both experienced athletes and young competitors making their debut at this championship. Turkish Taekwondo Federation President Bahri Tanrıkulu also emphasized prior to the event that the team had a youthful structure.

In the history of the European Taekwondo Championship prior to 2026, Türkiye had won a total of 193 medals: 64 gold, 69 silver and 60 bronze. This record places Türkiye second all-time, just one gold medal behind Spain. The Turkish national team, which had won the overall ranking in the last two editions, aimed for its third consecutive and ninth overall European championship title at this event. In para taekwondo, Türkiye had also won the team title in the last two championships.

Taekwondo athletes participating in the championship:

• Women – Emine Göğebakan (46 kg), Elif Sude Akgül (49 kg), Merve Dinçel Kavurat (53 kg), Hatice Kübra İlgün (57 kg), Hatice Pınar Yiğitalp (62 kg), Işıl Zafer (67 kg), Sude Yaren Uzunçavdar (73 kg), Nafia Kuş Aydın (+73 kg).
• Men – Kaan Yelaldı (54 kg), Enes Kaplan (58 kg), İbrahim Öter (63 kg), Berkay Erer (68 kg), Ferhat Can Kavurat (74 kg), Yiğithan Kılıç (80 kg), Orkun Ateşli (87 kg), Emre Kutalmış Ateşli (+87 kg).

Para taekwondo athletes:

• Women – Nurcihan Ekinci Gül (47 kg), Büşra Emire (47 kg), Meryem Betül Çavdar (52 kg), Lütfiye Özdağ (52 kg), Gamze Özcan (57 kg), Tuana Çelik (57 kg), Zehra Orhan (65 kg), Rümeysa Karagöz (65 kg), Fatma Nur Yoldaş (+65 kg), Sümeyye Sude Öztunç (+65 kg).
• Men – Ali Can Özcan (58 kg), Hamza Tarhan (58 kg), Mahmut Bozteke (63 kg), Haktan Keskin (63 kg), Fatih Çelik (70 kg), Yusuf Yünaçtı (70 kg), Emre Bulgur (80 kg), Kerem Çetinkaya (80 kg), Adem Arda Özkul (+80 kg), Osman Ertürk (+80 kg).

Berkay Erer, the top seed in the men’s -68 kg category and aged 20, won the gold medal on 11 May 2026 after competing in five matches.

^{Berkay Erer (AA)}

Berkay Erer advanced to the round of 32 without a match. In the round of 32, he defeated Liviu Bugneac of Moldova 2-0, and in the round of 16, he eliminated Nimrod Krivishkiy of Israel with the same score to reach the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Apostolos Panagopoulos of Greece in two rounds, and in the semifinals, he beat Dennis Baretta of Italy 2-0. In the final, he faced Volodymyr Bystrov of Ukraine and won 2-0 to become European champion.

Berkay Erer did not lose a single round in any of his five matches, winning all bouts 2-0 to claim the gold medal. This victory marked his first European championship title in the senior category. Prior to competing in the senior division, the young athlete had previously won European and world titles in junior age categories. Berkay Erer competes under the license of İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor.

Merve Dinçel Kavurat, the top seed in the women’s -53 kg category, won the gold medal on 12 May 2026.

^{Merve Dinçel Kavurat (AA)}

Merve Dinçel Kavurat advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Maryam Mamadova of Azerbaijan. She then defeated Anna Frassica of Italy in the quarterfinals and Adiba Asimi of Greece in the semifinals to reach the final. In the final, she faced Erika Karabeleva of Bulgaria and won 2-0 to claim the championship title.

This championship marked Merve Dinçel Kavurat’s third European title. The 26-year-old athlete previously won two European titles and also claimed first place at the 2025 World Taekwondo Championship in Wuxi, China. Prior to the championship, she stated that she had already secured two world and two European titles.

Hatice Pınar Yiğitalp, competing in the women’s -62 kg category, was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Twenty-two-year-old Enes Kaplan, competing in the men’s -58 kg category, won his first European medal at this championship, securing bronze.

Enes Kaplan defeated Tedi Likometi of Albania in the round of 32, Domen Molj of Slovenia in the round of 16, and Scutaru Tristan of Romania in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he faced Georgii Gurtsiev of Belarus and lost the match, earning the bronze medal. Yiğithan Kılıç, competing in the men’s -80 kg category, was eliminated in the round of 32.

^{Mahmut Bozteke (AA)}

Mahmut Bozteke, competing in the Para K44 men’s -63 kg category, won the gold medal on 12 May 2026. He defeated Adnan Milad of Israel in the final to claim the title. Bronze medals were awarded to Sandro Megrelishvili of Georgia and Joel Martin of Spain.

Prior to this championship, Mahmut Bozteke had also won gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Erdem Aslanoğlu, General Secretary of İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor, Bozteke’s club, stated that this victory marked Bozteke’s fifth European championship title since his Paralympic triumph.

^{Gamze Özcan (AA)}

Competing in the Para K44 women’s -57 kg category, Gamze Özcan won the gold medal on 12 May 2026. She defeated Sophie Caverzan of France 2-0 in the final to claim the title. Bronze medals were awarded to Tuana Çelik of Türkiye and Nata Ochigava of Georgia.

Following her match, Gamze Özcan stated that she had lost the first round of the final but recovered to win the championship. She also noted that her husband had won a bronze medal at the same championship after withdrawing from the semifinals due to injury. She dedicated her gold medal to her husband on the occasion of their wedding anniversary.

In the Para K44 women’s -47 kg category, Nurcihan Ekinci Gül won silver and Büşra Emire won bronze. In the Para K44 men’s -58 kg category, Hamza Tarhan and Ali Can Özcan both won bronze medals. In the Para K44 women’s -52 kg category, Meryem Betül Çavdar won silver, and in the Para K44 women’s -57 kg category, Tuana Çelik won bronze.