#6: MTA Officials Attend General Assembly in Baku, Azerbaijan
With the much-anticipated WT World Championships kicking off on the 29th of May, 2023, taekwondo-lovers were given a feast for the eyes. Yet it wasn’t the only major event taking place in Baku (Azerbaijan) that week.
International Council Members were invited to the Annual General Assembly, including MTA President Anna Vassallo, who attended with General Secretary Joanna Scicluna.
Addressing the meeting was none other than Chung-won Choue, President of WT, who opened discussions by terming association leaders as “a big, happy family who work closely together.”
During the meeting, the Maltese association was hailed for its hard work in light of its athletes’ record-breaking performances the past few months.
“It was a great honour,” Anna began. “Especially considering the short time the Maltese association has been in operation. Our efforts to create a competitive national team and an open development system for young athletes were a fundamental step.”
“Hopefully, we can now look to having a competitive team, even at senior level.”
During their time there, Anna and Joanna participated in regulatory meetings wherein minutes and reports of previous meetings were passed on and vetted. Meetings were also held with Kukkiwon President, Grand Master Lee Dong Sup, in hopes that Malta could one day welcome its own Kukkiwon branch.
MTA officials also attended the WT Council Meeting that determined where the 2025 WT World Championships would take place: Wuxi, China.
The WT General Assembly hosted members from 213 MNA’s. Together they reflected on the significant global growth of Taekwondo.
In fact, a special congratulatory message from IOC President Thomas Bach hailed Taekwondo as “the fastest growing sport in the world.”
During the General Assembly there were a number of presentations and reports including the 2022-2023 Operation and Finance Reports, the qualification process for the Olympic Games LA 2028, and the advancement of Virtual Taekwondo which will feature as the only combat sport in the IOC’s Olympic Esports Week.
The next General Assembly will be held in Chuncheon in Korea on the occasion of the 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships.
What an occasion for WT's 50th anniversary!
