AMMAN, Jordan (July 19, 2019) - World Taekwondo, the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) and United World Wrestling (UWW) today hosted the first-ever joint Olympic-sport training event, named Aspire 2gether for Peace, in the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan.
The joint event is a tangible outcome of the landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between WT, THF and UWW on 22 October 2018 to promote humanitarian, peace and social-development supporting initiatives. The Aspire 2gether for Peace event, sees UWW unite with WT and THF to deliver wrestling training to refugees at the existing Humanitarian Taekwondo Center.
The event was attended by a senior delegation from all three organisations and included WT President and THF Chairman Chungwon Choue as well as Olympic gold medalists and THF/WT Ambassadors, Wu Jingyu and Ahmed Abu Ghaush, and Olympic medallists and UWW Ambassadors, Arsen Julfalakyan and Clarissa Chun. IOC Executive Board Member HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein attended on behalf of the IOC and UNHCR delegates attended the event on Filippo Grandi's behalf.
President Choue delivered an opening address before an existing taekwondo team from the Azraq camp performed a taekwondo demonstration which was followed by a wrestling demonstration by the UWW Ambassadors and four local athletes. Jingyu and Abu Ghaush, and Julfalakyan and Chun then delivered taekwondo lessons and wrestling lessons respectively to refugee children.
President Choue said:
"It is a privilege to be here for this historic joint-event. World Taekwondo and the THF are committed to promoting a culture of peace around the world and making a significant contribution to supporting the global refugee crisis. We are delighted to have joined forces with United World Wrestling to show that our MoU was not just words, but the start of a real and tangible partnership which will benefit refugee children around the world.
"This is not just a one-off event but the start of a long-term commitment. By offering taekwondo and wrestling lessons at our THF academy here in Azraq, we are able to reach even more young people and provide even greater support."
Arsen Julfalakyan (ARM) UWW ambassador and Athletes Commission Member said:
"It is great to contribute to the lives of the refugees through sport and thanks to the opportunity given by the WT and THF, wrestling is in the Azraq sporting programme. The refugees need sport in their lives which will enhance their current difficult situation with the hope that peace will reach their country. UWW is very proud to inspire the future generations."
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
