Rashitov received his award during the World Poomsae Championship ceremony in Hong Kong, where he was personally presented with the accolade by WT Secretary-General Jeongkang Seo. This marks the first time an Uzbek taekwondo athlete has achieved such global recognition, further solidifying Rashitov's status as a trailblazer in his sport.
“This recognition is not just a personal achievement but a proud moment for Uzbekistan’s taekwondo community,” remarked Rashitov during the ceremony.
Other notable winners included Hungary’s Viviana Marton as Best Female Athlete, Peru’s Leonor Angelica Espinoza as Best Female Para-Athlete, and Azerbaijan’s Imamiddin Khalilov as Best Male Para-Athlete. The ceremony also honored Tunisian coach Yesbol Sultanov as Coach of the Year, among others.
The full list of World Taekwondo's 2024 laureates is as follows:
- Best Male Athlete: Ulugbek Rashitov (Uzbekistan)
- Best Female Athlete: Viviana Marton (Hungary)
- Best Female Para-Athlete: Leonor Angelica Espinoza (Peru)
- Best Male Para-Athlete: Imamiddin Khalilov (Azerbaijan)
- Best Kick Award: Park Taejun (South Korea)
- Coach of the Year: Yesbol Sultanov (Tunisia)
- Best Para-Coach: Andrew Deer (United Kingdom)
- Best Olympic Referee: Muhammad Ali El Sayed (Egypt)
- Best Paralympic Referee: Paula Ramirez Ruiz (Spain)
