RIYADH: About 60,000 Saudi youngsters have been learning and practicing taekwondo, a traditional Korean martial art, that was designated as an official game in the Sydney Olympics way back in 2000. The growing enrolment of Saudi students on taekwondo courses, of late, has also led to the opening of several clubs across the Kingdom, where this martial art together with other sports skills are taught.
“Taekwondo is currently being taught in at least 34 clubs that are run by Saudi Arabian Judo and taekwondo Federation (SAJTF),” said Ahmed S. Al-Mofareh, SAJTF president, while speaking after a breath-taking taekwondo performance staged by a 15-member team from South Korea here Tuesday.
The show was held in the Olympic Sports Complex here as part of the Second Korea-Arab Friendship Express Caravan. Il SaKong, special envoy of South Korean president, and Ambassador Hong Jong-ki also attended it.
Referring to the growing popularity of taekwondo in Saudi Arabia, Al-Mofareh said “there were many centers run by the private sector also, in which martial art is taught in Saudi Arabia.” He said that Taekwondo is the world’s most popular martial art in terms of the number of practitioners. Its popularity has resulted in the varied development of the martial art into several domains, as with many other arts, he added. Taekwondo combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, meditation and philosophy, all in one.
“Taekwondo is also used by the South Korean military as part of its training,” said Il SaKong, who is leading the South Korean business and cultural delegation to the Arab world including Saudi Arabia.
“It is a great occasion to see the performance by the Kukkiwon (South Korean-based World Taekwondo Headquarters) boys in the Saudi capital city,” said SaKong, adding that “the performance was not only a sports event but it is an event of friendship between Saudi Arabia and Korea.”
He said that South Korea and Saudi Arabia would work closely to promote taekwondo in this part of the world and make the Saudi players achieve good results in international tournaments. He said that the caravan would promote and develop intercultural relations between the region and South Korea. The caravan will hold cultural events, trade shows and investment fairs in seven Arab countries until Oct. 27.
