TNZ PRESIDENT’S 2023 NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE

Dear New Zealand Taekwondo Family,

PRESIDENT’S 2023 NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE

Happy New Year to all of our Taekwondo Whanau,

I trust that your holiday season is going well and that you are looking forward to an exciting year ahead.  Here at Taekwondo New Zealand (TNZ) we have had a chance to reflect on a very successful 2022 that has included,

·       Recognition from World Taekwondo and Oceania Taekwondo as the sole governing body for WT style Taekwondo in New Zealand.  

·       The election of our TNZ board member (Jamie Carpenter) as a WT World Council member – an amazing achievement that will provide positive outcomes for Taekwondo in New Zealand.

·       The implementation of the TNZ High Performance Program for our competitive athletes.

·       The acknowledgement of our member organisations as an integral part of our Taekwondo landscape.

·       The TNZ National Championships – a great success and the first for 3 years.

·       The selection of our TNZ National team to compete at the Oceania Taekwondo Championships in Tahiti and the subsequent tournament which provided not only an opportunity for our athletes to showcase themselves on the international stage but also achieve long time personal goals.

·       The completion of a working relationship between TNZ and the Kukkiwon culminating in the forming of the first New Zealand Kukkiwon Office to administer and oversee all Kukkiwon matters for our members.

·       The Kukkiwon Master Instructors and Examiners course – an event that brought together our Taekwondo community for a week of intensive instruction from Kukkiwon Masters.  The positive impact that this event provided for our most senior Taekwondo members cannot be underestimated.  Practitioners from all corners of New Zealand worked tirelessly together for the greater good to upskill our Taekwondo environment.

·       Meeting with the NZ Olympic Committee CEO and Chief Operations Officer to begin the process of recognition as the sole WT Style Taekwondo governing body in New Zealand.

There has certainly been a lot to celebrate over the past year and the TNZ Board appreciate that there is still much more to achieve in the coming year. 

Our calendar for 2023 is filling up fast and currently consists of,

· Kyorugi and Poomsae seminars.

· Tournaments from member organisations.

· Selections for the 2023 World Championships.

In addition, we are currently finalising details to host the 2023 Kukkiwon Cup in Auckland!  As you will know, this is a significant event on the international calendar and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to bring this to New Zealand for our members. 

Our communication is something the TNZ Board take pride in and believe that transparency is the key to building concrete relationships with our members.  Our focus remains inclusive and it has been encouraging to see students from all of our member organisations involved in TNZ events.  The TNZ Board understand that our Taekwondo community is diverse and that we may not always agree 100% of the time, but it is important to remember that as a governing body, TNZ will continue to build on our success for the benefit of you, our members.

Happy New Year and all the best for 2023.

Yours Faithfully

GRANDMASTER JIN KEUN OH

President