GTF Union European Championships in Moldova – gold, silver and bronze for KCT!
GTF Union European Championships in Moldova – gold, silver and bronze for KCT!
On 6–7 June 2026, Chișinău hosted athletes from across Europe at the GTF Union European Championships. We fielded a six-person team and returned with an impressive haul of medals.
Chișinău – arrival and sightseeing
We landed in Moldova’s capital on Friday, 6 June. Before the official start of the championships, there was time to get to know the city – the crowded markets, green parks and atmosphere of an Eastern European capital made quite an impression on us. Chișinău welcomed us warmly.
Championships – organisation and competition format
The event was hosted by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova in cooperation with the National Taekwon-Do Federation of Moldova and the Global Taekwon-Do Federation Union (GTFU). The competition was held at Maneż Sport Arena, 26 Andrei Doga Street, Chișinău.
The championships programme included both individual events – patterns (patterns/tull/hyong), light-contact and semi-contact fighting (point sparring), special techniques and power breaking tests for seniors – and team events: team patterns and team light-contact fighting.
Saturday – first appearances, first medals
On Saturday, 7 June, Dariusz Pazdan, Filip Winnicki, Krzysztof Jaworski, Maciej Kowalski and Jakub Lenard stepped onto the mat
The first day brought three medals:
Dariusz Pazdan – 2nd place in IV dan patterns
Jakub Lenard – 2nd place in 1–2 cup patterns
Maciej Kowalski – 3rd place in 1–2 cup patterns
A good start – but the KCT team still had plenty to say.
Sunday – a true medal haul
The second day proved even more fruitful. Medals kept coming one after another, and the undisputed hero of the entire championships was coach Dariusz Pazdan, who won two gold medals on Sunday – in light-contact (-70 kg) and point fighting (-175 cm). Outstanding form and class worthy of a champion.
Team fights
Gold (seniors): Dariusz Pazdan and Jakub Lenard alongside Adrian Korkus, Błażej Pluta and Mikołaj Włodowski.
Bronze (juniors): Filip Winnicki, Maciej Kowalski and Jakub Lenard.
Individual results
Dariusz Pazdan – gold in light-contact (-70 kg) and gold in point fighting (-175 cm)
Krzysztof Jaworski – 2nd place in point fighting (-175 cm) and 2nd place in light-contact (-56 kg, juniors)
Jakub Lenard – 2nd place in light-contact (-75 kg) and 3rd place in point fighting (-175 cm, juniors)
Filip Winnicki – 3rd place in light-contact (-68 kg, juniors)
Monday – a well-deserved rest
After an intense weekend full of excitement, it was time for a slightly more relaxed finale to our visit to Moldova. The KCT team visited the famous Cricova winery – one of the largest places of its kind in Europe. The best way to celebrate medal success!
Summary
Six people, a dozen-plus appearances, a dozen-plus medals – including three golds. The GTF Union European Championships in Chișinău were one of the best international trips in KCT’s history. Congratulations to the entire team, and we look forward to further successes! 💪🏅
