WT Council Meets, Updates, Ahead of General Assembly

from Taekwondo Magazine 2023

Event Calendar

SOFIA,

Bulgaria (Aug. 1, 2022)

The World Taekwondo Council met to update a number of important matters ahead of this afternoon’s General Assembly in Sofia, Bulgaria. The meeting was attended by 29 members in person, with six joining online.

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue began the meeting by welcoming those new Council members who were attending a Council meeting in person for the first time since their election last October.

Choue also provided updates on the record-breaking World Taekwondo Cadet Championships which had just concluded in Sofia; the upcoming World Taekwondo Junior Championships; World Taekwondo’s latest performance in the ASOIF governance review; virtual Taekwondo, which will be showcased at the Commonwealth Esports Championships on Aug. 6-7; and the federation’s plans for its Golden Jubilee next year.

Pan American Taekwondo Union (PATU) President Juan Manuel provided an update on the reforms being made within PATU.

The next Council meeting will take place on May 28 in Baku ahead of the General Assembly on the same day.

Former World Taekwondo Secretary General Hoss Rafaty was acknowledged for his contributions to World Taekwondo and was invited at the start of the meeting to receive an appreciation plaque from Choue.

WT Hall of Fame

Inaugurated

SOFIA, Bulgaria (Aug 1, 2022)

World Taekwondo today inducted its first six inductees into the inaugural World Taekwondo Hall of Fame 2022 during its General Assembly in Sofia.

The official ceremony was one of the key items on the General Assembly agenda, which also included the reveal of World Taekwondo’s Golden Jubilee logo and theme “Peace in Mind, Taekwondo at Heart.” The federation’s half century and 50th birthday will be celebrated in 2023.

The General Assembly featured a number of updates on important subjects. They included: The MNA survey which will be the foundation for MNA rankings starting next year; progress of the Global Membership System; Virtual Taekwondo, which will be showcased at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham, GB; the latest activities of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF); and Kukkiwon cooperation.

The World Taekwondo Hall of Fame was proposed by the World Taekwondo Council at its meeting in Manchester, GB in May 2019 with the aim of recognising those who have made an extraordinary contribution to Taekwondo as an Olympic sport during their careers. Today, the first inductees were announced.

WT’s Inaugural Hall of Fame Inductees

Inductees were chosen by a special WT Hall of Fame Committe, created in 2019. They are:

Lifetime Contribution Award: The late Un-yong Kim (Korea)

Kim was the founder of World Taekwondo and its first president. He was recognised for his leadership in developing Taekwondo’s role with the IOC, and securing Olympic recognition for the sport.

Lifetime Contribution Award: The late Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain)

Former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch played a significant role in gaining Taekwondo’s recognition as an Olympic sport. Taekwondo’s position today would not have been possible without his strong support, and his term as IOC president coincided with the globalisation of Taekwondo.

Official Category: Dai-soon Lee (Korea)

Recognised for his devotion to Taekwondo, and his contribution as a World Taekwondo vice president and as a president of the Asian Taekwondo Union. He also served as a leader of the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation and developed relations with the government of Korea in the promotion of Taekwondo as a global sport.

Athlete Category: Kook-hyun Jung (Korea)

The four-time world champion was honoured for winning consecutive world titles and helping to raise standards within the sport when Taekwondo was not yet in the Olympics. After retiring as an athlete, he continued his career as a professor of Taekwondo to train younger athletes, and then became a sports administrator serving on the World Taekwondo Council.

Athlete Category: Zhong Chen (China)

Recognised for being the first female athlete to have won consecutive Olympic gold medals at both Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, she also won gold at the Beijing 2007 World Taekwondo Championships having previously won bronze at the 2003 Garmisch-Partenkirchen World Taekwondo Championships

Official Category: The late Ahmed Fouly (Egypt)

The World Taekwondo Council approved Fouly’s posthumous induction in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of Taekwondo in Africa and around the world. In his position as a World Taekwondo Vice-President, Fouly had led Taekwondo Africa, which soared to prominence at Rio 2016 with African athletes walking away with a large Olympic medal haul.