World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue said that 2022 had featured "many historic firsts" ©World Taekwondo

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue has claimed that 2023 will "truly be a special year" with the governing body celebrating its 50th anniversary.

It was founded on May 28 1973 at its Kukkiwon headquarters in Seoul, with Choue serving as its President since 2004.

The South Korean official pointed to World Taekwondo's achievements in the last 50 years in his New Year message, including growth to 212 National Federations and one Refugee Team, its addition to the Olympic programme at Sydney 2000 and its Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020.

He also cited its organisation of 25 World Championships, 13 Junior Championships, five Cadet Championships, 12 Poomsae Championships, and nine Para Taekwondo Championships, and added it had been "recognised as the leading International Federation on humanitarian activities".

Choue then discussed its activities in 2022 specifically.

World Taekwondo is set to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding in 2023 ©World Taekwondo
World Taekwondo is set to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding in 2023 ©World Taekwondo

"We created many historic firsts in 2022, including the inaugural World Taekwondo Hall of Fame, Para taekwondo in the Grand Prix Series, and an electrifying World Taekwondo Demonstration Team’s performance at the ANOC [Association of National Olympic Committees] Awards," he said.

"Taekwondo not only thrilled; we also inspired.

"In 2022, World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) organised the first-ever Hope and Dreams Refugee Taekwondo Championships in Amman, Jordan, with the participation of more than 200 youths and children from the Azraq and Za’atari refugee camps.

"With regard to the Olympic Solidarity scholarship programme for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, taekwondo has the second highest number of scholarship holders with eight athletes including two from the Azraq refugee camp."

Chungwon Choue pointed to the sport's debut at the Paralympics among World Taekwondo's achievements in the last 50 years ©Getty Images
Chungwon Choue pointed to the sport's debut at the Paralympics among World Taekwondo's achievements in the last 50 years ©Getty Images

World Taekwondo's theme for 2023 is to be "peace in mind, taekwondo at heart", and a series of plans are in place to mark its 50th anniversary.

These include a gala at the World Championships in Baku on May 28 to celebrate the best male and female athletes from each edition of the Olympic Games and the founding National Federations.

Together with the THF, World Taekwondo plans to invite other International Federations to the Hope and Dreams Sports Festival for Refugees, and create a Hope and Dreams Sports Peace Corps.

Choue concluded by thanking National Federations for their support and declaring that "2023 will truly be a special year as we lay the foundations for World Taekwondo’s centenary".