Markku P
Blue Belt
This is one question many people are asking right now. If I think of all the problems and challenges in the last 5 years, I think there is a real possibility they will drop Taekwondo from the Olympics in 2120. Right now, the WTF (World Taekwondo federation) is having problems with LaJust and many other national organizations having their own problems.
I have gotten many mails from people all over the world and it’s alarming how many countries have problems with different issues.
In the US, it seems that their national federation is in trouble and many people have actually taken steps to make things right. It looks like all the power and control are in the hands of a small group of people. I also heard that their athletes’ development program is not working at all and that the federation has lost many members, thereby affecting their financial situation negatively.
It also seems that many other countries are having similar problems…
In England, there’s a huge dissatisfaction about the way things are and I predict that something big will happen in the next 2 years.
I think our “product” is great but we should educate people more on what Taekwondo competition is and try to create some big stars. Those can be good role models to represent Taekwondo to a big audience
In Sweden, our problems are pretty much the same: not enough money, lack of organizational skills, and no media coverage. Perhaps we need to do some changes.
So what does this all mean for the Olympic games?
Well, of course people in the IOC (International Olympic Committee) will hear things and it will have negative impact. I also heard that IOC really “hates Taekwondo” according to Dr. Kim.
So what are the solutions?
Here’s my list:
1. Better leadership in the WTF ( more professional ).
2. A referee training program, which should be number one priority so we will have fair judging in competitions. We should also stop the constant changes in our competition rules.
3. More effort in marketing Taekwondo which includes hiring a professional and allotting a good budget for this.
I know this is quite a complex issue but if we don’t start to do something soon, then we will be out of the Olympic games by 2021!
Yours,
Markku P.
I have gotten many mails from people all over the world and it’s alarming how many countries have problems with different issues.
In the US, it seems that their national federation is in trouble and many people have actually taken steps to make things right. It looks like all the power and control are in the hands of a small group of people. I also heard that their athletes’ development program is not working at all and that the federation has lost many members, thereby affecting their financial situation negatively.
It also seems that many other countries are having similar problems…
In England, there’s a huge dissatisfaction about the way things are and I predict that something big will happen in the next 2 years.
I think our “product” is great but we should educate people more on what Taekwondo competition is and try to create some big stars. Those can be good role models to represent Taekwondo to a big audience
In Sweden, our problems are pretty much the same: not enough money, lack of organizational skills, and no media coverage. Perhaps we need to do some changes.
So what does this all mean for the Olympic games?
Well, of course people in the IOC (International Olympic Committee) will hear things and it will have negative impact. I also heard that IOC really “hates Taekwondo” according to Dr. Kim.
So what are the solutions?
Here’s my list:
1. Better leadership in the WTF ( more professional ).
2. A referee training program, which should be number one priority so we will have fair judging in competitions. We should also stop the constant changes in our competition rules.
3. More effort in marketing Taekwondo which includes hiring a professional and allotting a good budget for this.
I know this is quite a complex issue but if we don’t start to do something soon, then we will be out of the Olympic games by 2021!
Yours,
Markku P.