SOFIA — Bulgaria has once again turned to Iran to strengthen its high-performance taekwondo program. Slavcho “Slavi” Binev, president of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation and member of the World Taekwondo Council, confirmed that the country was in the process of naturalizing another elite Iranian competitor, but warned that the plan had been slowed down by administrative delays in issuing the passport.
SOFIA — Bulgaria volvió a mirar hacia Irán para reforzar su proyecto de alto rendimiento en Taekwondo. Slavcho “Slavi” Binev, presidente de Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation y miembro del Consejo de World Taekwondo, confirmó que el país estaba en proceso de naturalizar a otro competidor iraní de nivel élite, pero advirtió que el plan se había frenado por retrasos administrativos en la emisión del pasaporte.
Rome, Italy – The Italian Taekwondo Federation (FITA) and Sportface TV launched “Taekwondo Plus,” an OTT (“Over-the-Top”) channel, streaming online, outside of traditional TV, dedicated to Italian Taekwondo, in a move that reinforces its communication and positioning plan ahead of the World Taekwondo Grand Prix Rome 2026 at the Foro Italico.
Former GB Taekwondo Executive Performance Director Gary Hall MBE has taken on the role of High-Performance Director at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Vijayanagar, India, and has already led talent identification efforts for Taekwondo ahead of Los Angeles 2028, including trials in Assam alongside Olympic champion Jade Jones.
El ex Executive Performance Director de GB Taekwondo, Gary Hall, asumió rol de High-Performance Director en Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), en Vijayanagar (India), y ya encabezó acciones de detección de talento para Taekwondo rumbo a Los Ángeles 2028, incluyendo evaluaciones en Assam junto a la campeona olímpica Jade Jones.
Roma, Italia – 20 de enero de 2026. Federación Italiana de Taekwondo (FITA) y Sportface TV lanzaron “Taekwondo Plus”, un canal OTT (“Over-the-Top”), streaming por internet, fuera de la TV tradicional, dedicado al Taekwondo italiano, en una jugada que refuerza su planificación de comunicación y posicionamiento rumbo al World Taekwondo Grand Prix Roma 2026 en el Foro Italico.
Sogamoso, Colombia — World Taekwondo (WT) held a new stage of the WT Referee Training Camp for the Pan-Am region at the International High Performance Center (CIART), focused on training, evaluating, and selecting international referees for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, according to information provided to MASTKD by the Colombian Taekwondo Federation and its president, Cito René Forero.
Sogamoso, Colombia — World Taekwondo (WT) desarrolló en el Centro Internacional de Alto Rendimiento (CIART) una nueva etapa del WT Referee Training Camp para la zona americana, orientada a entrenamiento, evaluación y selección de árbitros internacionales con proyección a Juegos Olímpicos Los Ángeles 2028, según información suministrada a MASTKD por Federación Colombiana de Taekwondo y su presidente, Cito René Forero.
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) immediately suspended Juan Moreno and Terrence Jennings for the rest of the 2025–2026 cycle, citing “reasonable cause” and the content of a YouTube video. The case included a formal complaint, a technical report with 24 findings, and an ongoing review by World Taekwondo's Global Integrity Unit.
Kyustendil (Bulgaria) — The Winter Taekwondo Sparring Camp held its second edition last weekend in the city of Kyustendil, bringing together nearly 300 participants from 25 teams, with delegations from seven countries: the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Serbia, Moldova, Cyprus, Italy, and Romania.
