Taekwondo Body Announces New Vision
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
As part of its efforts to solidify taekwondo's status as an Olympic event, and take it beyond its role as a sport, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) announced several new programs on Tuesday.
WTF President Choue Chung-won announced the WTF's new vision action programs in his speech during a ceremony to mark the opening of a newly expanded WTF Lausanne office at the Maison du Sport International (MSI) in Lausanne on Tuesday.
``Our new vision to reorganize the WTF into a dual structure is to bring taekwondo closer to the center of the Olympic Movement and to the international sports community,'' Choue said during the ceremony.
He said, ``Our Seoul office will concentrate on taekwondo development, technical issues and finance. Our Lausanne office will function to coordinate with the IOC, the WADA, international sports federations, and overall international sports organizations.''
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge praised the WTF's "exemplary collaboration with the IOC" and said that the WTF has "made a huge progress" since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
To attain its new vision, the WTF will strengthen the function and role of its office in Lausanne, Switzerland, which will ultimately serve as a global center of the WTF for international relations and Olympic coordination. The WTF officially opened its Lausanne liaison office in 2006 and recently decided to move to the Lausanne at the MSI
The WTF will also expand its solidarity programs for the disabled and less-privileged people and its Taekwondo Peace Corps programs, as well as focus on youth education. The WTF believes this will help taekwondo contribute to the promotion of world peace.
The ceremony drew more than 70 high-ranking sports figures.
``I am grateful of the initiatives of the WTF. I would like to thank the WTF for its exemplary collaboration with the IOC,'' said Rogge.
``If I make a comparison with the 2000 Sydney Olympics, now the WTF has made a huge change. The sport of taekwondo has become more dynamic.''