Turkey wins taekwondo medals, reaches Tokyo Paralympics goalball final
Turkey's Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu (C) poses with Tokyo Paralympics taekwondo silver medalist Meryem Çavdar (L) and bronze medalist Mahmut Bozteke at the Makuhari Messe Event Hall, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 2, 2021. (AA Photo)


Turkey clinched two more medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and reached the women’s goalball final on Thursday.

Taekwondo athlete Meryem Çavdar won silver in the women’s 49-kilogram K44 event, held at the Tokyo’s Makuhari Messe Event Hall.

Çavdar lost the gold medal match to Peru’s Leonor Espinoza Carranza.

After the first round ended in a 4-4 stalemate, the Peruvian pulled ahead to 12-10 in the second.

Çavdar tried to stage a comeback in the final round before eventually losing 34-21 and settling for the silver medal.

Turkey claimed another medal on Day 9 when Mahmut Bozteke won bronze in the men’s 61-kilogram K44 event.

Bozteke defeated his Italian opponent Antonino Bossolo in the third-place match.

The Turkish athlete was ahead by 14-2 in the first round when the referee announced him the winner of the bronze medal.

Taekwondo is making its debut as a sport at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Turkey's Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, who was present at the venue, congratulated both Çavdar and Bozteke.

With two on Thursday, Turkey’s total medal count at this year's Paralympics reached 14.

Turkey's players and staff celebrate their victory over Japan in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic women's goalball semifinal at Makuhari Messe Hall, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 2, 2021. (AFP Photo)

Women's goalball team reaches final

In goalball, the Turkish women's team beat host Japan 8-5 to advance to the Tokyo Paralympics final.

At the Makuhari Messe Event Hall, Turkey finished the first half with a 4-3 lead. Sevda Altunoluk scored Turkey's all four goals.

The Turkish team continued its dominance in the second half as Altunoluk added four more to complete the victory.

Turkey will face the winner of the semifinal between Brazil and Team USA.