Driss El Hilali, Vice President of WT: “Everything changed from Sydney to Paris”

MASTKD ESPAÑOL

FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates — In an exclusive interview with MASTKD, the president of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Taekwondo, Driss El Hilali, analyzed the competitive leap made by the Fujairah Open–Arab Cup, the impact of rule changes, and the growth of African taekwondo despite structural barriers.

The conversation took place at the start of his new role as vice president of World Taekwondo.

Fujairah as a competitive and continuous platform

El Hilali appreciated that Fujairah managed to bring together high-participation events in the same “block,” with deeper brackets and a level that requires real preparation.

“Now we have the Open and also the Arab Cup… and this is good for Taekwondo,” he said, highlighting the organizational continuity and sporting appeal of concentrating international competitions in the same window.

In his view, the increase in demand was reflected in the nature of the matches, the pace of the tournament, and the overall competitiveness.

“It’s a very strong competition,” he remarked.

Rule changes: protection and refereeing

The Moroccan leader linked the intensity of the competition to the new regulations, arguing that the amendments had a direct impact on athlete protection criteria, the ongoing quest to ensure that the spectacle takes precedence, and that the referees’ work is not undermined but, on the contrary, can shine.

“There were rule changes to protect athletes in many ways and also a high degree of professionalization of the referees’ work,” he said.

WT Vice Presidency: internal unity and future agenda

When asked about his election as vice president of World Taekwondo, El Hilali expressed his gratitude for the support he received and described the moment as the beginning of a challenging period for a sport that has changed profoundly in recent decades.

“Thank you very much for voting for me,” he said, before highlighting the current situation: “It’s not easy… because everything has changed.”

In this context, he set out a sustained priority: coordination with the different actors in the international structure and joint work to accompany the evolution of Taekwondo.

“I look forward to working with everyone… we have a lot of work to do, a lot of things for the future,” he said.

And he summarized his historical interpretation with a phrase that served as a diagnosis:

“It’s not the same as 20 years ago… from Sydney to Paris, everything has changed.”

Africa: real growth, but with structural limitations

In the final section, El Hilali highlighted Africa’s growth in participation and level, although he noted that there are still specific obstacles that affect competitive continuity: travel costs, operational difficulties, and obstacles related to currency and visas.

“Africa has strong countries… Morocco, Egypt… Senegal… step by step,” he listed.

When explaining why internal mobility on the continent remains a problem, he was blunt:

“Transport is very expensive.”

In this context, he pointed to a factor that, in his view, helped accelerate the competitive leap: African athletes who train in Europe and raise the continent’s international standard.

“We now have athletes from Africa living in Europe. That’s very good for their competitive experience and, consequently, for their sporting growth,” he concluded.

Context: who is Driss El Hilali?

Driss El Hilali is president of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Taekwondo and was elected vice president of World Taekwondo at the General Assembly held in Wuxi (China) last year, with 81 votes, securing one of the three available positions alongside Yang Jin-bang and Athanasios Pragalos. On the same day, Chungwon Choue was re-elected as president for a new term.

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TKD: Taekwondo.
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