Hassan Sadeghi: “The new rules make match more exciting”

The international referee and official of the Belgian Taekwondo Federation reviewed his work in educating and updating referees, analyzed the impact of recent rule changes, and previewed how Belgium will apply the new guidelines at its upcoming events, including the Belgium Open (March 21 and 22) and a Poomsae G1 scheduled for June 7.

Referee training and high performance analysis

Hassan Sadeghi, a highly experienced referee and current member of the Belgian Taekwondo Federation’s board, spoke to MASTKD about his approach to his work: education, standardization, and continuous improvement of refereeing as a key element in the development of modern Taekwondo.

Recently invited by the Emirates Taekwondo Federation to serve as referee chair at a major international event, Sadeghi noted that the competitive level remained high due to the diversity of styles and schools.

“It was a tournament with a real mix of athletes from Asia, Africa, and some from Europe. The overall level was high,” he concluded.

Rule changes: positive reception and competitive balance

One of the focal points of the conversation was the impact of the rule changes applied in competition. Sadeghi said that, in his dialogue with coaches present on the international circuit, the feedback was clear: greater fluidity, a more dynamic pace, and “cleaner” refereeing in terms of intervention.

“Most of the coaches were very happy. They told me it was better: more fluid, faster, and less work for the referee,” he explained.

When asked whether “less work for the referee” necessarily meant an improvement for the sport, Sadeghi was careful and prioritized a central concept: balance.

«When World Taekwondo changes the rules, the effect is the same for both sides. You can’t say that it benefits one in particular. That’s why, in general, it’s well received: it doesn’t change the balance for one athlete or another,» he said.

Belgium: upcoming competitions and implementation of the new rules

Moving on to the Belgian stage, Sadeghi confirmed that the Belgium Open (March 21 and 22) was designed to implement the new rules framework.

“We are going to use the new rules. We are going to apply them at the event, and I expect a level similar to that of a strong European championship», he anticipated.

He also mentioned a Poomsae G1 in Belgium scheduled for June 7.

The goal: raising the bar for refereeing

Beyond specific events, Sadeghi made clear what his institutional priority was: referee education and ongoing updating.

“I am very busy with the educational side and with improving our referees. I will be the referee chair at the Belgium Open,” he confirmed.

At the same time, he defined himself with ambition and a long-term profile within refereeing:

“I still consider myself young. I want to continue growing, including as a referee on the mat.”

MAS: Media About Sport.
TKD: Taekwondo.
MASTKD: Worldwide Leader on Taekwondo Information.

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Alex Siliezar

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