World Taekwondo to hold refugee sports festival in Jordan next week

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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World Taekwondo to hold refugee sports festival in Jordan next week

Posted : 2023-02-16 16:14

Updated : 2023-02-16 16:18

World Taekwondo (WT) President Choue Chung-won speaks during a press conference at WT headquarters in central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of World Taekwondo

By Lee Hae-rin

World Taekwondo (WT) will hold a three-day sports festival for refugees at Azraq refugee camp in Jordan next week as part of the organization's 50th anniversary projects to send a message of peace via sports.

Titled "Hope and Dreams Sports Festival," the event is organized by the WT and Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF). It will take place between Feb. 25 to 27 at the Azraq refugee camp and in Jordan's capital Amman with around 300 young refugee athletes competing, WT President Choue Chung-won said during a press conference at WT headquarters in Seoul, Thursday.

The inaugural event took place in Jordan last March under the title, "Hope and Dreams Taekwondo Championship." Over 250 athletes from the Aqraq and Zaatari refugee camps and Amman took part in the event.

The Azraq refugee camp houses people who fled the Syrian civil war. Built in 2014 and operated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), it is now home to around 38,000 Syrian refugees.

This year, WT seeks to expand the event in collaboration with other sports games whose international federations ― judo, wrestling, basketball and baseball ― signed memorandums of understanding with the THF following the championship last year.

The young refugee taekwondo athletes will compete in the championship and also be given opportunities to watch exhibition matches and learn these different sports during the festival, Choue explained.

The representatives of international organizations, including the Association of Summer Olympic International Federation, World Baseball Softball Confederation, UNHCR, and the International University Sports Federation, will also attend the festival.

By implementing such humanitarian efforts, WT plans to elevate taekwondo's status from a widely watched and enjoyed world sport to one that makes social contributions and spreads the message of peace worldwide, Choue said.

Meanwhile, World Taekwondo donated $30,000 to support recovery in Turkey and the Turkish Taekwondo community affected by the deadly earthquake.

World Taekwondo (WT) President Choue Chung-won, right and Turkish ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer, pose at the Turkish embassy in Seoul, Wednesday, as WT donated $30,000 to support the recovery of quake-hit country. Courtesy of World Taekwondo

Choue visited the Turkish embassy in Seoul, Wednesday, and met with Turkish ambassador Murat Tamer. Choue and Tamer held a video conference with the members of the Turkiye Taekwondo Federation.

"World Taekwondo stands in solidarity with the people of Turkiye and Syria," Choue said. "We will continue to provide all the assistance we can and our thoughts and condolences are with those who have been so tragically impacted by the disaster."

Turkiye Taekwondo Federation's President Metin Sahin expressed gratitude for the relief fund and the emotional support from WT. Sahin said the Turkish Taekwondo community has lost some of its members due to the deadly earthquake.

"The support that we have received here in the Republic of Korea has been genuine and overwhelming," said Tamer. "We wish to thank World Taekwondo for your support. At the moment, there is a need for psychological and emotional support as well and I believe Taekwondo has the power to help in such difficult times."

lhr@koreatimes.co.kr