DLSZ Taekwondo Program Director and alumnus Ricardo L. Santiago Jr. (DLSZ 1986) served as International Referee in the 2022 World Taekwondo Cadets and Juniors Championships on July 27 to August 7, 2022 at the Arena Armeec, Sofia, Bulgaria.
The World Taekwondo (WT) is the International Federation (IF) governing the sport of Taekwondo and is a member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). WT leads the most inclusive and accessible combat sport, which combines the values of an ancient Asian heritage with the values of a global elite sport.
The 2022 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships is the 5th edition of the event with 683 athletes between 12 and 14 years old participants from 77 countries. Meanwhile, the 2022 World Taekwondo Junior Championships had 811 athletes between 14 and 17 years old who joined from 90 countries plus a Refugee Team, which marks the reset of the competition.
World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue said:
The importance of the Cadet and Junior World Championships cannot be understated. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, 17 of the 32 Taekwondo medallists had medalled at either the World Taekwondo Cadet or Junior Championships or at the Youth Olympic Games. This shows that these Championships provide invaluable experience and are often the starting block for the future stars of our sport.
Most significantly, the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships is an ideal platform for athletes from all walks of life to exchange cultures and become friends. This is the spirit of Taekwondo that eventually contributes to a world where Peace is more Precious than Triumph.
Source: www.worldtaekwondo.org
Coach Ricky during the final match in the Boys -45kg between Axel Daniel Montoya Vasquez of Mexico and Mingyu Kim of South Korea. Photo courtesy of Mr. Ricky Santiago.