Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Kuwait Taekwondo Federation co-hosted the ‘Kuwait Taekwondo Spectacle 2023’ on 11 May at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Hall Complex, under the patronage of the Kuwait Korean Community Association and the Kukkiwon (the World Taekwondo Headquarters) in Korea.
Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts that has been developing with the 5000-year-long history of Korea. It is a kind of discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind more than physical fighting skills.
Today, it has become a global sport with 150 million practitioners worldwide and has been among the official Olympics Games events since the Sydney Olympics in 2000. It also holds special meaning for Kuwait since it brought the first Olympic medal to Kuwait in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, even though it was a demonstration sport then.
A closer look at the meaning of the word ‘Taekwondo’ in Korean language shows us that the first syllable ‘Tae’ means ‘foot’ and ‘step on’, ‘Kwon’ means ‘fists’ and ‘fight’, and ‘Do’ means the ‘way’ or ‘discipline’. So the translation of Tae Kwon Do is ‘the right way of using parts of the body to help build a better and more peaceful world’.
This year’s Taekwondo event was bigger and better than ever, with several exciting programs. One of the highlights of the event was a Kukkiwon Taekwondo demonstration by the world-best Taekwondo masters’ demonstration team. The Kukkiwon’s demonstration provided a unique opportunity to witness the beauty and grace of Taekwondo, as well as the awe-inspiring display of speed, power, and precision, which left spectators spellbound.
Another highlight was the Korean Ambassador’s Cup Championship, which featured some of the best Taekwondo athletes in Kuwait. The Korean Ambassador’s Cup Championship aims to promote the sport of Taekwondo in Kuwait and provides a platform for the country’s Taekwondo practitioners to compete and enjoy victory.