Asia is the continent where Taekwon-Do was born and where it took its first steps at the hands of its creator, General Choi Hong Hi, and a select group of students, who carried out demonstrations beyond the borders of Korea.
Composed of approximately 50 countries, it is the largest and most populated continent on earth. Yet only 20 Asian countries are active members of the ITF.
One of the main goals of the current ITF leadership, expressed prominently in the election campaign in 2023, is to develop Asia strategically – guaranteeing the individual growth of the National Associations in those countries and their collective coexistence and cooperation.
The ITF aims at developing the Asian continent by the medium and long-term objectives of institutional consolidation of national associations, their recognition by the respective governments through their sports ministries, the training and professionalization of instructors, the growth in the number of members and the organization of national, regional, and continental sporting events.
After appointing the members of the Asia Development Team in April 2024, on May 19, 2024, the full team met for the first time via videoconference. The team is jointly led by the ITF President, Grand Master Paul Weiler, and Grand Master Gordon Wallace (Scotland), emphasising the importance of ITF development in Asia. The team members are Grand Master Najmi bin Abdullah (Malaysia), Master Mariusz Steckiewicz (Vietnam), Master Hong Looi (Ireland), and Sbn Darren Ryding (Vietnam). The ITF plans to appoint additional members to the team with expert knowledge of Central and South Asia as well as the Middle East.
Due to the huge and very diverse continent, the ITF aims the regional development in Asia in up to six subcontinental regions in accordance with the United Nations. And at least one member of the Asia Development Team should oversee the development in those subcontinental regions.
For the upcoming months, the Asia Development Team has scheduled several high-level focus events in such as a technical seminar on June 8 in Taiwan by Master Mariusz Steckiewicz and the visit of Grand Master Paul Weiler and Master Yogi Chand to Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore in India, to conduct a technical seminar, a black belt training camp and a regional championship from June 10 to 16.
In addition, for the mid of 2024, the ITF offers a new International Instructors Course (IIC) in Tokyo, Japan, conducted by Grand Masters Hector Marano and Ung Kim Lan, chair and member of the ITF Technical and Instruction Committee, respectively. And the Malaysia ITF Federation confirmed everything was ready for another IIC in Penang, Malaysia, between July 12 and 14, which will be led by Grand Masters Paul McPhail and Jerzy Jedut, members of the ITF Technical and Instruction Committee.
In the second half of 2024, additional technical seminars will be organized and offered by the Asia Development Team in China and India. With the objective of achieving greater ITF activity in the region, the Taekwon-Do Development team in Asia agreed to regular meetings through videoconferences or in person, when possible, to continue with the planning and organizing new events.
Beyond the development of ITF in Asia, the development in the Caribbean and Africa are of strategic importance for the ITF, too. Similarly to the Asia Development Team, both regional development teams were appointed in April 2024 and started working enthusiastically under the leadership of the member of the ITF Board of Directors, Master Luis Gato-Gato from Puerto Rico (Caribbean Development Team), and Master Niklas Enander from Sweden (Africa Development Team), who is an experienced and well-known member of the Africa Development Team for more than 12 years.
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