Friday to Monday, August 15 to 18, 2025, were four days – a prolonged weekend – with Ethiopia as the center of the ITF world. Not only the 3rd Africa Championships took place in Addis Ababa, the magnificent capital of Ethiopia 2300m above sea level, but also important meetings of the ITF president, GM Paul Weiler, accompanied by Master Niklas Enander, Member of the ITF Board of Directors and leader of the ITF African Development Team, with Ethiopian State Officials, the African Taekwon-Do Federation (ATF), and the Ethiopian International Taekwon-Do Federation (EITF).
ITF President GM Paul Weiler meets with the State Minister for Sport in Ethiopia
The day right before the 3rd African Championships, Friday, August 15, 2025, was dominated by a meeting with the recently appointed Ethiopian State Minister for Sport, His Excellency Mekiyou Mohammed Abadiga.
Together with Master Niklas Enander (ITF Board Member) and the entire Board of the Ethiopian International Taekwon-Do Federation (EITF), including the President of the African Taekwon-Do Federation, Mr Tamrat Feyessa, a 30-minute meeting was held at the Ministry of Sport, attended by several representatives of the press, during which the following points were discussed:
1. History and development of Taekwon-Do in Ethiopia
2. The importance of Taekwon-Do for social development in general and in Ethiopia in particular
3. The significance of the 3rd African Championships
4. The EITF’s participation in the World Championships in Croatia
5. International competitions in Addis Ababa
ITF World Cup in Ethiopia – utopia or feasible?
The minister showed great interest in the entire spectrum of the martial art of Taekwon-Do and caused particular interest when he said that the Ethiopian government was very interested in bringing international sporting events to their country. At the same time, the long-held idea of possibly hosting the ITF World Cup in Addis Ababa in 2028 came to the fore. This World Cup in 2028 has a special meaning for Ethiopia and Africa as it would mark the 20th anniversary of the ITF’s efforts to develop the continent. In 2008, GM Paul Weiler took the responsibility in the Board of Directors for this project and visited Ethiopia for the first time to spread Taekwon-Do.
Durign the meeting, the Minister considered accompanying the Ethiopian team to the World Championships 2025 in Croatia. The meeting ended with a mutual agreement to make every effort to host the World Cup in Africa, as this would be of historical significance not only for Ethiopia, but for the entire African continent and, of course, for the ITF.
The subsequent press conference focused mainly on the 3rd African Championships.
Ethiopia remains number one in Africa
The 3rd African Championship was held again in Addis Ababa on the Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17. Over 140 black belts (juniors and seniors) registered and demonstrated very high-level performances in the disciplines of pattern, sparring, pre-arranged sparring and power breaking, with Ethiopia dominating as in previous years. The fact that the EITF has also made great progress in terms of organisation was demonstrated by the fact that the daily events were able to be completed on time according to the schedule. In this context, special thanks go to Master Niklas Enander, who accompanied and supported the event as Umpire Director.
Following the successful meeting with the on the previous day with the State Minister for Sport was already visible at the African Championships: a total of seven representatives of the ministry were present on the first day of the competition and took the opportunity to present the prizes at the awarding ceremony!
Inspection of potential sports venues for hosting a World Cup
On Monday, August 18, 2025, the EITF Board of Directors, GM Paul Weiler and Master Niklas Enander inspected several sports venues and event halls for the 2028 World Cup. Finally, the Addis International Convention Centre was offering the best conditions. It is not only brand new, with its inauguration with a major event in the last week of August 2025, but also located in an ideal spot in the city. Several hotels are within walking distance and others are in the immediate vicinity.
Regarding travel from all countries in the world, Addis Ababa is perfect: Bole International Airport is Addis Ababa’s international hub for Ethiopian Airlines flights and offers connections to almost every country in the world. And all major international airlines fly also directly to Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian Association is working on a presentation for the World Cup in Croatia and further information will follow.
insidethegames.biz reported about the meeting with the State Minister for Sport on Wednesday, August 20. Read the full article here: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1154678/ethiopian-world-cup-dream
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