5 officials and 7 players from the Singapore attended the inaugural World Youth Camp organized by the World Taekwondo Federation and the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation (TPF). The event held from 6 to 11 August 2009 in Seoul and Muju attracted 260 players and officials from 33 countries.
While the officials attended a seminar on Olympic Values Education Programme for officials, talks on various issues including doping control and other meetings, the players were engaged in poomsae and kyorugi training, a dialogue session with some Olympic champions and friendship competition.
The five officials representing Singapore were Mr Milan Kwee, Mr Lim Teong Chin, Mr Steven Soh, Mr Chin Khee Shin and Mr RA Jeyaraman. Mr Kwee’s and Mr Lim’s trip was fully sponsored by the TPF as Asian Taekwondo Union Executive Member and Chairman of the Referees’ Committee respectively. The rest were partially sponsored under the Singapore Taekwondo Federation Enrichment Programme for officials.
The players – Jason Tan Junwei, Keith Ong Jin Cong, Wesley Ong Zhi Qiang, Muhammad Norhalim, Tio Jia Xin, Zakirah Bte Zakaria and Tessa Tang Xue Yi – found the experiences at the camp enjoyable and enriching. Although they were housed in small rooms and had to sleep on mattresses lay out on the floor, their spirits were high. They gave of their best in their training and tried to learn as much as possible from the camp. Most importantly, they displayed outstanding discipline.
For the officials, the trip provided them opportunities to learn through observation and the cross-fertilization of ideas.
Said Mr Lim: “If the friendship competition is of anything to go by, taekwondo competitions in future promise be very exciting with the implementation of the new rules.”
In his closing speech, Dr Lee Dai Soon, Chairman of the TPF and the event, reminded the players to train hard, be respectful and serve their community and country.