Taekwondo mission hitting stride in Nepal
Villagers of Kaandi Chour, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal, watch the performance of the World Taekwondo Federation's demonstration team at a school sports field in the town, Sunday. / Courtesy of World Taekwondo Federation
By Nam Hyun-woo
The Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation’s (THF) pilot project to assist displaced persons in Nepal is hitting its stride, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) said Monday, three days after the inauguration of its humanitarian activities in the quake-stricken country.
In part of its efforts to promote peace through the sport of taekwondo, the THF has already kicked off pilot programs at two Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and Turkey and is now extending its hands to Nepal.
As part of a fact-finding tour to Nepal, WTF President Choue Chung-won led a delegation to Sindhupalchowk District, a region heavily damaged by the April 25 earthquake that occurred between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Across the district, 3,640 people were killed, 20,000 were injured and 70,000 homes were badly damaged.
“We are here to support you,” Choue said after a welcoming ceremony at Shree Bal Shikchha Higher Secondary School in the town of Khaandi Chaur. “We are here especially to support this region, and we are here to support your children.”
Upon their visit, the delegation delivered a check for $10,000, 300 taekwondo uniforms and three boxes of kicking pads to local officials.
“This is just the beginning,” Choue said. “There will be more help in the coming days.”
Three days earlier, the delegation received a warm welcome by Nepalese Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli. As well as briefing Oli about the WTF’s plan to operate the THF program in Nepal, the delegation met with senior Nepalese government officials to set up a sustainable partnership. After the fact-finding tour, the WTF will establish official THF programs for thousands of displaced persons.
“At this stage, we have some ideas and I am confident that once we have met senior officials and visited the earthquake-hit areas, we can deliver pragmatic, workable programs,” said Choue. “We look forward to viewing the situation on the ground and getting a firsthand look at how the THF can assist the Nepalese people.”
The WTF’s move is also in line with Nepal’s assessing of three sports ― taekwondo, volleyball and cricket ― as national sports which will be taught in schools. During his meeting with Oli, Choue suggested that taekwondo might offer Nepal the best opportunity for victory in international sporting competitions.