The International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) has made developing the sport and increasing professionalism in Asia its “main goal”, inviting leaders from member nations to share their concerns and ideas here.
Representatives from China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam met with ITF leaders including newly re-elected President Paul Weiler, secretary general Tadeusz Łoboda, senior vice-president Clint Norman, vice-president Annick van Driessche, treasurer Leonardo Oros Duek and Board member Philip Learn alongside the World Championships in Tampere.
Developing the sport in Asia had been identified as a key target by German official Weiler in his re-election campaign on a closed ticket with Norman, van Driessche and Oros Duek, and outlined issues of securing Government recognition in countries where Federations associated with World Taekwondo are strong, economic issues in low-income countries and the need to increase and improve the ITF’s activities on the continent.
Each of the countries in attendance shared background on their history of taekwon-do and issues faced developing the sport.
Participants discussed plans to advance the creation of an Asian Federation, but stressed the need to work regionally within the continent due to the vast distances and cultural differences across west Asia, central Asia, south Asia, south-east Asia and east Asia.
It is hoped two of taekwon-do’s leading Asian nations in Malaysia and Uzbekistan could play a leading role in south-east and central Asia respectively.
Malaysian Taekwon-Do Federation head Najmi Abdullah is set to lead a working group as a first step towards forming a formal Continental Federation.
Polish official Łoboda explained the ITF’s ambitions and plans to support the development of taekwon-do in Asia.
“We try to organise this Federation more professionally, because we have many countries where taekwon-do exists, but the structure of this organisation is very weak or very poor,” he told insidethegames.
“People focus only on training but not on organisational matters like how to be recognised, how to receive money, how to find good sponsors for organisations.
“We try to help in their knowledge.
“We have a special department for the whole continent, and this department really helps.
“Every year, we prepare the budget to help these countries.
“Maybe this time because Malaysia is one of the most organised countries, this is a really good step for us to have a good continental organisation who can show their neighbouring countries.
“Malaysia is very close to countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, even Japan, and second leader of Asia is Uzbekistan, which is also recognised by the Ministry of Sports and Olympic Committee, and has a good structure.”
The ITF secretary general underlined that working in the various regions of Asia would be a key priority after the elections before the World Championships.
“I am happy we are doing this step especially after the election, and this is the main goal and focus for us,” Łoboda added.
“In Europe we have 38 countries very well organised with very long traditions.
“New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States have a really good level, in Argentina 100,000 people practise taekwon-do, but we need to focus on Asia and try to help them to be stronger and more professional.”
Source: Inside The Games
