Amely Moras

The appointment of American Amely Moras as chair of the World Taekwondo Referee Committee was a first. As World Taewkondo marches toward equality in all areas, she is the first woman to head the critically important committee.

“My vision is to be able to grow and further refereeing,” Moras said. “I want to be able to give opportunities so everyone can take advantage and take it back to their countries and hopefully grow, so that everyone is familiar with the rules.”

Aiming to make fights as action-packed as possible, World Taekwondo has introduced a “best of three rounds” system. The new format was first implemented at the recent Roma 2022 World Taekwondo Grand Prix.

It was Moras’ job to ensure all referees were properly informed and trained to adapt to the changes this system has on the way athletes fight.

“The best of three system creates a very exciting match and everyone is really focused on winning that first round,” she said. “If you don’t win then you have a clean slate for the next round.”

These changes to the rules, offer more “dynamic and exciting action” she said. That is good for the crowd, but is more work for the refs.

“My job is to be able to guide and help the referees know how to interpret the rules and how to execute them properly so that we have a fair and transparent game,” she said. “There are adjustments as we go along but overall the concept and the vision is there and we received a lot of great feedback from athletes, coaches and referees themselves on how much more action there is now.”

Overseeing the field of play at elite-level competition, Moras is focused on her task of ensuring all play is fair. Back home, she is focused on running her Taekwondo schoolsher full-time job.

But there is no getting away from the fact that as a female chair she is inspiring others.

“I feel very humbled to be given this job as the first female: One of the things I’ve heard a lot from female referees is that seeing me in this position has motivated and inspired them to pursue refereeing more,” she said. “It has been encouraging for them that a female is watching out for them and that they can also grow within the sport on the refereeing side so that has been nice to hear.”

Of course, equality is the core issue- as WT pursues a 50:50 gender split in its referee corps

“It’s not about ‘Males can do this’ or, ‘Females can do this,’” she continued. “Both can equally do this and that’s part of my responsibility to coordinate that.”

It was the potential of contributing to the sport that made Moras turn to refereeing.

“There was a time when I should have been competing. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to for some personal reasons but I wanted to stay involved in the sport so I was going to competitions and wanted to be able to do something so I took a national referee seminar,” she recalled. “I really enjoyed being a part of something and contributing to the sport.”

Her focus is on ensuring the players have the best possibility to deliver their best on the field of play.

“I really felt I can do a good job for the athletes so they can have a fair game,” she said. But she admits that the well-known camaraderis of the WT referee corps was a draw.

“The more I did it, the more I enjoyed it,” she said. “And not only that, made a lot of friendships with the referees as this is the Taekwondo family and that is one of the things really loved.”

Vatican Taekwondoin Visited by Choue

ROME, Italy (Jun. 2, 2022)

During his stay in the city for the Roma Grand Prix, World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue visited the Pontifical Council of Culture of the Vatican on June 2 to meet with the body’s secretary, S.E.R. Mons. Paul Tighe, and with seven students training in Taekwondo in the seminary.

The Italian Taekwondo Federation has partnered with the Saint Pius X Institute of Vatican City to organize training for the students of the seminary. It sees boys aged 13-17 practice Taekwondo three times a week as part of their curriculum.

“We must celebrate the desire to compete which brings out the best in athletes,” said Tighe. “But we should never lose sight of the integrity of the athlete whose primary challenge is to achieve his or her own potential and who will value more the intrinsic satisfaction of competing well than the extrinsic awards of success and victory. “

Choue agreed.

“As the secretary said, Taekwondo is about more than winning; it is about challenging yourself to be the best you can be and treating others with understanding and respect,” he said. “As we always say: ‘Peace is more precious than triumph.’”

Vatican Taekwondo was recognised as an official Member National Association of World Taekwondo in November 2021 and maintains a strong connection with the sport.