Choue Gets Support From Union Heads
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) President Choue Chung-won has received a big boost in his bid for reelection, as four of the five Continental Union presidents have given him their full support.
Choi Ji-ho of the United States, president of the Pan American Taekwondo Union; Lee Dai-soon, president of the Asian Taekwondo Union; and Ahmed Fouly of Egypt, president of the African Taekwondo Union, gathered in Seoul Thursday to attend the inaugural ceremony of the World Taekwondo Peace Corps Foundation and told reporters just prior to the ceremony that they would back the current chief of the WTF.
"We agreed that the WTF is moving on the right and desirable direction under the leadership of Choue,'' said Fouly, a WTF vice president.
Four candidates ― WTF Vice President Park Soo-nam of South Korea; Athanasios Pragalos of Greece, president of the European Taekwondo Union (ETU); and another WTF Vice President, Nat Indrapana of Thailand, and Choue ― have been campaigning for the post scheduled for Oct. 13 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"Other presidential candidates are well qualified, but what we need is the leadership that has been verified and trustworthy. We cannot experiment with untested leadership at this moment," Fouly said.
"We recognized the dedicated work of President Choue in promoting taekwondo and we acknowledge the achievements of the WTF under his leadership," he said.
Two other presidents also focused on the leadership.
"There have been lots of tough things to handle, but he has shown his unwavering leadership toward achieving goals,'' Choi said.
"I put Choue's continuation (in heading the WTF) over unknown leadership,'' Lee said.
According to Fouly, Phil Coles, who heads the Oceania Taekwondo Union and could not join them due to another engagement, is also endorsing Choue's campaign.
They said ETU President Pragalos was also invited to attend the ceremony for the launch of the World Taekwondo Peace Corps Foundation, but could not come to Seoul because of his country's election affairs.
They said they believe most European countries, including Azerbaijan, Turkey, France and Spain, will support Choue.
The 61-year-old took over the WTF in June 2004 after former President Kim Un-yong was forced to give up his post at the world taekwondo governing body after he was arrested.