#62: Malta Welcomes WT and ETU Leaders
On Monday 10th March, Malta was visited by a WT delegation led by its President Dr Chungwon Choue, together with European Taekwondo Union President Sakis Pragalos and Sporting Director Ioannis Mouroutsos.
Choue, who is also the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) President started his visit by visiting local club Iron Taekwondo League, where he met with refugee junior athletes to offer his encouragement and support.
At the start of the year, ITL launched its THF program, welcoming five Ukrainian players, together with Ashik Sunil, the THF athlete who went on to win two international medals last year.
The initiative was released in conjunction with ‘Taekwondo 35+’, a project that welcomed enthusiastic parents into the world of taekwondo, and the ITL Elite Scheme; that has seen the inclusion of strength and conditioning sessions for the club’s competitive athletes.
The Ukrainian refugee youths, all aged 12 to 16 years, currently train at the ITL dojang in Santa Venera under the guidance of coaches Ditmir Vodinaj (kyorugi) and Jovo Mirkovic (poomsae), with the support of the Gianluca Barbara (ITL), the THF and the Malta Taekwondo Association.
Since 2023, Dr. Choue and WT Council Member and Malta Taekwondo Association President Anna Vassallo have signed an agreement to work together in support of refugee athletes.
WT’s collaboration with MTA aims to promote Taekwondo as a vehicle for peace, social development, and the integration of vulnerable populations, particularly refugees, by providing training and competition opportunities for those living in Malta.
Speaking with the athletes, Dr Choue highlighted the many pathways and opportunities for athletes in the scheme to compete abroad. Among the athletes was Anhelina Hlachenko, a young female athlete who has aspirations for the podium in the near future.
Dr Choue presented ITL’s THF team, together with the senior team and coaches, a series of gifts, which were very well received by the team.
In the days that followed, they were escorted by the Maltese party in visiting some of the island’s historic sites.
Following the immense event, Dr Choue later convened with MTA President Anna Vassallo (ITL) and MTA General Secretary Joanna Scicluna (ITL) in welcoming a European Taekwondo Union delegation led by Mr Sakis Pragalos (ETU President) and Ioannis Mouroutsos, European Taekwondo’s Sporting director.
The combined delegation held talks with members of Malta’s Olympic Committee (MOC) on Tuesday 11th March, at the MOC premises together with all executive members.
On Wednesday, the delegation then convened with Mr John Grech, Malta’s International Secretary for further talks.
MTA thanks Dr Choue, Sakis Pragalos and Ioannis Mouroutsos, together with the Iron Taekwondo for its work with the THF project, amongst other things.
