FUJAIRAH, UAE (May 12, 2025) - One of the moments that the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Fujairah will be remembered for is Christopher Andre Astorga Melgar’s extraordinary triumph in the M -49kg category. It will especially be remembered in El Salvador, for whom this was their first-ever medal in any age category at a World Championships in Kyorugi.

Astorga Melgar faced Türkiye’s Yunus Ali Körp in the final, and scored vital late points in both the first and third rounds to earn a dramatic victory.

“Excited, nervous, but I was really sure of what I was going to do in the next movements,” is how he describes his emotions at those crucial moments.

“When I came to the World Championships, the expectation was a medal, but I did not know which one. When I reached the semi-finals, I decided I want the gold medal, 100%.”

Astorga Melgar has practised Taekwondo for eight years, and cites Baku 2023 World Taekwondo Championships medallist CJ Nickolas of the USA as his hero in the sport. He shared an insight into the beginnings of his remarkable journey.

“My mum saw I was an electric boy, so she thought Taekwondo could be a really good idea. She connected me with the sport,” Astorga Melgar said.

He trains for two hours each day at Escuela de Taekwondo Leones in El Salvador, and understands the importance of learning from setbacks.

“I had some defeats in the process, but now this is a really big opportunity to grow because I won the gold medal. It was a process,” he said.

“The first thing is don’t give up. Be hungry about the dream, focus on the dream. If you start to know how to lose, you can have a better win.”

Astorga Melgar is targeting further success at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar next year, having already made history for El Salvador.
Trusting his process has worked well so far, and will stand him in good stead moving beyond the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships.