#130: Iron Taekwondo League’s Alycia Cassar Showcases World-Class Potential in Tashkent

Iron Taekwondo League is proud to highlight the performance of our athlete, Alycia Cassar, who recently represented Malta at the prestigious Junior World Taekwondo Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Competing on April 17th, Alycia stepped onto the world stage against top international talent, demonstrating both skill and determination.

In her opening match, Alycia faced a formidable opponent in Tunisian athlete Istabrak Miraoui, a two-time Tunisian champion and current Arab champion. The bout began with a strong start from the Tunisian, who secured the first round with two well-executed body shots.

Showing resilience and composure, Alycia responded impressively in the second round. She took control of the match with sharp tactics and precise headshots, creating a clear gap on the scoreboard and leveling the contest.

The third and final round proved to be a tense and tactical battle. Both athletes displayed high-level awareness, with neither managing to score for the majority of the round. However, in the closing seconds, a quick exchange saw Miraoui edge ahead by 2–0 with just four seconds remaining. Despite Alycia’s efforts, time ran out before she could respond, resulting in a narrow and hard-fought loss.

Although the result did not go in her favour, Alycia’s performance on such a major stage is a testament to her growth, discipline, and competitive spirit. Going toe-to-toe with athletes at this level and pushing the match to the final seconds reflects her potential and determination.

Iron Taekwondo League would also like to acknowledge Coach Ditmir Vodinaj, who guided Alycia throughout the competition.

We are incredibly proud of Alycia’s achievement in representing Malta at this level and are confident that this experience will serve as a strong foundation for her future in the sport.

@gianluca.barbara

Gianluca is a certified and registered specialist in exercise and nutrition science. He is also a journalist and avid researcher on a mission to find the healthiest lifestyle, even while living on the fattest island in Europe.

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