Beloved World Taekwondo Family,

 

The year 2024 was a celebration of 30 years of Taekwondo as an Olympic sport. From the Centennial Olympic Congress in Paris, France, on September 4, 1994, there was no better showcase of Taekwondo’s transformation into a global sport than the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

Twenty-three Member National Associations won the 32 Olympic Games medals at stake. Dive deeper and the global appeal of Taekwondo becomes more evident – 8 gold medals won by 7 MNAs; 8 silver medals by 7 MNAs; and all 16 bronze medals by 16 MNAs. For the first time, a refugee from the Azraq Refugee Camp established by the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, Yahya Al Ghotany, took part in the Olympic Games. Taekwondo is a sport that offers opportunities like no other.

 

The Paralympic Games paint a similar story. Ten gold medals were won by 9 MNAs; 10 silver medals by 6 MNAs and one neutral athlete; and 20 bronze medals by 16 MNAs and one refugee athlete. Taekwondo is a sport that transcends barriers. The bronze medal won by refugee Taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi was the International Paralympic Committee Paralympic Refugee Team’s first-ever medal. Taekwondo demonstrated its strongest value: universality.

 

Congratulations to all MNAs that medaled, and for those that did not, I wish you the best in the next Games cycle.

 

While the Olympic and Paralympic Games showcased the champions of today, the 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, Korea, paved the way for the stars of tomorrow.

 

With more than 1,700 athletes and officials from 127 MNAs, Individual Neutral Athletes and the Refugee Team, Chuncheon hosted the largest-ever World Taekwondo Junior Championships. Congratulations to the 30 MNAs that medaled, and I look forward to the growth of all junior athletes on your journey to become world and Olympic champions.

 

Just as importantly, it is not all about competitions. World Taekwondo launched a mental health program at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in our ongoing efforts to safeguard our athletes and officials. We were inspired by the initiative and the positive feedback of the athletes, and will continue to use our events for this meaningful purpose.

 

From the largest-ever junior championships, we experienced a record-breaking World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Hong Kong, China, with the participation of more than 1,700 athletes from 77 MNAs and Individual Neutral Athletes. We are increasingly seeing the influence and importance of Poomsae as an inclusive sport for all and organised the first-ever World Para Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Manama, Bahrain. In this regard, World Taekwondo is actively lobbying for the inclusion of Poomsae in the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, and multi-sport Games.

 

A new chapter in World Taekwondo beckoned with the launch of the World Taekwondo Virtual Championships in Singapore. Virtual Taekwondo is on the cusp of ushering a new era for Taekwondo, and we look forward to its inclusion in the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025.

 

The second Hope and Dreams Sports Festival in Jordan expanded with the participation of Baseball5, Badminton, and Basketball. World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation are grateful to have supportive and like-minded international federations that put their sports for the greater good. I wish to also acknowledge the incredible donation of artificial grass from the Taishan Sports Group to the Azraq Camp.

 

Once again, World Taekwondo scored A2 in the governance review done by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. In fact, ASOIF acknowledged World Taekwondo’s outstanding governance for an international federation of our size, and I attribute this achievement to the integrity and dedication of our MNAs and stakeholders.

 

Looking back on another successful and eventful year, I want to thank every MNA and host city that has organised World Taekwondo promoted and recognised events. Through Taekwondo, every one of you aspired the global Taekwondoin towards Olympism and Peace in 2024.

 

It is this harmony that will bring glory to the World Taekwondo Family in 2025. The World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi, China, promises to be the largest and most prestigious ever. In addition, a Presidential and Council election beckons, with a streamlined Council aimed at elevating World Taekwondo’s governance to the highest level.

 

For the first time in our history, the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships will take place in the Middle East in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Over the past decade, the Championships has proven to be the perfect platform for nurturing young, aspiring Taekwondo athletes and launching their star-studded careers.

 

Since its inception in 2023, the World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge has awarded fearless and talented athletes to rise through the rankings and become Olympic and World champions. In this regard, we are excited at the prospect of witnessing new rising stars in the Grand Prix Challenge Series in Charlotte, USA; Muju Taekwondowon, Korea; and Bangkok, Thailand.

 

I am pleased to inform the World Taekwondo Family that we are in close collaboration with the International University Games Federation to expand the number of Taekwondo disciplines at the FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. Taekwondo is already the third-largest sport in the University Games and if successful, it will offer more opportunities for athletes of other Taekwondo disciplines to take part in sport.

 

I also look forward to the announcement of Virtual Taekwondo in the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. World Taekwondo look to potential bidding cities to host the World Taekwondo Virtual Championships and continental tournaments to serve as qualification pathways to the Games.

 

The third edition of the Hope and Dreams Sports Festival in Jordan is expected to introduce new sports to the refugees and displaced children. As the festival grows, my personal hope is to see its expansion to other countries and continents in the years to go.

 

Finally, a new IOC President will be elected in March 2025. Whoever it may be, World Taekwondo looks forward to working closely with the new IOC President and the new ASOIF President to continue the upward trajectory of our sport and organisation.

 

In this regard, I would like to end my New Year’s message by thanking two remarkable men and close friends of Taekwondo: IOC President Thomas Bach and former ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. During their presidencies, they supported and stood with World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation through challenging times and through the best of times. We are grateful to them and thank them for their friendship over the years.

 

In a fast-changing society where international communities and the world of sports are facing challenges everyday, World Taekwondo aims to proactively respond to this “New Normal” and continue to drive changes rather than being changed.

 

Harmony brings glory. I am confident that this is going to be a glorious year.

 

Thank you.