“I will make the 50th anniversary of the founding the first year of a new leap forward.”
Russian and Belarusian taekwondo players are expected to be able to participate in competitions organized by the World Taekwondo Federation (WT) from April at the earliest. However, it is expected that he will not represent his country, but will compete as a neutral player.
Cho Jung-won, president of the World Taekwondo Federation, said at a press conference on the 50th anniversary of the federation held at the federation secretariat in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 16th, “We plan to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in federation-sponsored competitions as early as April.”
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, the World Taekwondo Federation, in line with the international sports world, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), banned Russian and Belarusian players who helped Russia from participating in competitions organized by the federation. However, when the IOC virtually opened the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the end of last month, they decided to support it. 안전놀이터
According to the Olympic Charter, the rights of all athletes should be treated without discrimination, and governments should not decide which athletes can and cannot participate in the Games, the IOC said. In addition, he added that there should be no case where a player cannot participate in the competition simply because of his or her nationality.
According to these principles, the IOC should seek more ways for athletes to participate in the competition under ‘strict conditions’. was presented as a condition for players who fully followed the
Accordingly, the World Taekwondo Federation held a temporary executive committee meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on the 1st and expressed full support for the position of the IOC, saying, “Under strict conditions, Russian and Belarusian athletes are not allowed to participate as neutral athletes in WT competitions, including the Paris Olympic Qualifiers.” We have decided to continue discussing and cooperating with the IOC to create a passageway that is possible.”
At the meeting, President Cho reaffirmed the federation’s policy. President Cho said, “The IOC will have a detailed discussion on this at the executive committee meeting at the end of March,” and “after seeing the results of the meeting, we will allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in federation competitions from April.”
President Cho expressed a negative view of the plan for Russian and Belarusian players to participate in the 2022 Summer Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China in September this year. At the end of last month, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) unilaterally sent an official letter to member countries to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The OCA promised not to award medals based on performance, even if athletes from the two countries compete in the Asian Games, only medals commemorating participation, and not to have any effect on the athletes from 45 OCA member countries securing the right to participate in the Paris Olympics, but the unilateral decision is controversial. .
In response, President Cho Jung-won said, “Member countries will not want it, and they oppose WT first.”
President Cho also announced plans for events related to the 50th anniversary of the federation. The World Taekwondo Federation was established in 1973 by representatives from 17 countries. The number of participating countries, which was only 19 at the World Championships, held for the first time since the founding of the federation, increased to 174 at the World Championships held in Muju in 2017. President Cho said, “Probably among the Olympic events, it has grown into an event with the most countries participating in the world event. I am not satisfied with this, and I am going to make this year the year of making another leap forward as an Olympic sport.”
Since Taekwondo was adopted as an official event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, six Olympic Games have been held. In the process, there have been several reports of being kicked out of the Olympic event, but it is evaluated that it has taken a firm position through active rule revision, the introduction of a fair referee system, and globalization. President Cho said, “The Federation is taking the lead in providing Taekwondo services to orphans and refugees living in difficult conditions. By creating the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation and continuing its active activities, it has become a sport that contributes to society beyond simply being enjoyed and shown at the Olympics.”