The World Taekwondo Council is meeting for the first time in its new term and has adopted the slogan “Reborn Together” to guide the organization throughout the current year.
The special session took place on January 31, 2026, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
One of the most notable announcements was the decision to allow junior and senior athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete again under their national flags effective immediately. This measure aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) previous resolution, which authorized the participation of junior athletes from those countries in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games under their national symbols. However, restrictions remain in place: events on Russian territory are not authorized, nor is the accreditation of government officials from those nations.
During the meeting, several key appointments were made to the Council. Notable among them are Tomas Sithole (Zimbabwe), appointed vice president until 2027—who brings experience as a former vice president of World Taekwondo, vice president of the Global Esports Federation, and former IOC member— and Dagmawit Girmay Berhane (Ethiopia), an IOC member with a background in taekwondo and on Olympic commissions such as the Coordination Commission for Brisbane 2032 and Olympic Solidarity. In addition, two-time world champion Prof. Shinja Lim was appointed as the representative of Kukkiwon.
The session also served to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF). World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue announced the inclusion of the Olympic Refuge Foundation in the Hope and Dreams Sports Festival, scheduled for April.
Another significant development was the creation of four new standing committees: Culture and Heritage, Disciplinary Tribunal, Institutional Relations, and Membership. More than 210 applications were received for positions on the various committees, resulting in a notable balance: 44% of committee members are women, and 36% of committee chairs are women, in addition to balanced representation across continents. The terms of these bodies will extend until 2027 or until specific events such as the 2026 World Youth Championship in Tashkent.
The meeting included a moment of silence in memory of Grandmaster Miroslav Brezan, a competitor in the second World Championship in 1975 and founder of a pioneering club in Croatia.
Finally, amendments were approved to the statutes, Parataekwondo regulations, Paralympic procedures, classifier guidelines, the terms of the Global Integrity Unit, and the code against competition manipulation.
A strategic workshop will be held tomorrow, while the Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 10 in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), followed by the General Assembly on April 11 and the World Youth Championship from April 12 to 17.
With these resolutions, World Taekwondo aims to strengthen inclusion, gender diversity, humanitarian development, and governance in taekwondo worldwide.
