Group Photo of WT Council
World Taekwondo at the council meeting today in Fujairah have approved the motion to permit Russian and Belarusian junior and senior athletes to compete under their respective national flags with immediate effect.
The decision follows the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian youth athletes to participate in the Dakar 2024 Youth Olympic Games under their national flags.
While Russian and Belarusian junior and senior athletes are allowed compete, other existing restrictions remain unchanged.
It includes no approval for any international taekwondo events to be organized in Russia, as well as no accreditation to be issued to government officials from Russia and Belarus.
The World Taekwondo Council held the first meeting of its mandate, united by the “Reborn Together” motto which will guide the organisation through the forthcoming year.
At the Extraordinary Council meeting, Tomas Sithole (Zimbabwe) and Dagmawit Girmay Berhane (Ethiopia) to the World Taekwondo Council were among the key appointments made.
Sithole had served as World Taekwondo Vice President before, and is also the Vice-President of the Global Esports Federation, and a former IOC Member and IOC Director of International Cooperation and Development. He was appointed as World Taekwondo Vice-President for the term until 2027.
Berhane is an IOC Member from Ethiopia, with experience as a passionate Taekwondo practitioner. She is a member of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for Brisbane 2032, the IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission, the IOC Advisory Committee on Human Rights, the IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission, the ANOC Executive Council, the WADA Executive Committee and the ITA Foundation Board.
The appointment of Prof. Shinja Lim, a two-time World Champion, as Kukkiwon’s representative on the World Taekwondo Council was also approved.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, an important milestone for World Taekwondo. Dr. Chungwon Choue, World Taekwondo President also shared that the Olympic Refuge Foundation will join the Hope and Dreams Sports Festival in April.
The chairs of World Taekwondo’s Standing Committees, with terms running through the 2027 World Taekwondo Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, were also made.
Four new Committees were created – Culture and Heritage, Disciplinary Tribunal, Institutional Relations, and Membership.
The Committee Chairs
Coaches’ Committee: Robert Taaffe
Culture and Heritage Committee: Justin Hou
Development Committee: Maria Rosario Borello
Disciplinary Tribunal: Lorenza Mel
Education Committee: Songchul Kim
Ethics Committee: Gabor Kristof Szucs
Finance Committee: Pimol Srivikorn
(Kazakhstan MNA President Kudret Shamiyev was appointed as Vice-Chair)
Institutional Relations Committee: Jinbang Yang
Juridical Committee: Stephen Hess
Membership Committee: Hassane Sadok
Para Taekwondo Classification Committee: Hadwah Moawad
Poomsae Committee: Jungheon Kim
Sustainability Committee: Nellys Rios
Taekwondo for All Committee: Sister Linda Sim
