Istanbul Brings Together International Referees for World Taekwondo Refresher Course
With World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue and Türkiye Taekwondo Federation President Bahri Tanrıkulu in attendance, 98 referees from 29 countries took part in a key educational platform focused on updated rules, refereeing criteria, and technology in Kyorugi.
Istanbul once again became part of the international Taekwondo agenda with the staging of the Kyorugi International Referee Refresher Course and Seminar, organized in cooperation between World Taekwondo (WT) and the Türkiye Taekwondo Federasyonu.
The event brought together 98 referees from 29 countries, reinforcing the importance of continuous education, technical consistency, and updated refereeing standards in modern Taekwondo.
The course was attended by World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue, who visited Istanbul at the invitation of the Turkish federation. He was welcomed by Bahri Tanrıkulu, President of the Türkiye Taekwondo Federation, together with federation officials and members of the organizing structure.
During the opening ceremony, Tanrıkulu underlined the importance of hosting an educational event of this level in Türkiye and emphasized that referee development is essential to guarantee fairness for athletes on the mat.
“The most comprehensive training sessions, where renewed rules are explained and current issues are addressed in detail, are the guarantee that the effort our athletes make on the mat receives the fairest possible response,” Tanrıkulu stated, according to the official communication released by the Turkish federation.
The Turkish federation president also stressed that Türkiye will continue bringing international standards into the country while supporting the development of referees, coaches, and technical officials at the highest level.
Tanrıkulu’s leadership also carries strong symbolic value. Beyond his current role as federation president, he is one of the most recognized figures in Turkish Taekwondo history, with a distinguished career as an Olympic and World-level athlete.
For his part, Dr. Choue highlighted the technological transformation taking place in Taekwondo and the importance of reducing the margin of error through electronic systems. The WT President noted that the international federation continues to promote courses and training opportunities for international referees in a sport that is constantly evolving.
The seminar also strengthened the institutional relationship between World Taekwondo and Türkiye, a country with significant competitive, organizational, and strategic weight in European and global Taekwondo.
The activity in Istanbul was part of a broader educational agenda. The Türkiye Taekwondo Federation had previously announced that the 159th WT Kyorugi International Referee Refresher Course would take place from May 18 to 21, 2026, while the 140th WT Kyorugi International Referee Seminar would be held from May 22 to 25, 2026, both in Istanbul.
The event concluded with the presentation of recognition plaques to authorities and instructors, followed by the traditional official group photo.
Beyond the protocol, the sporting message was clear: at a time when Taekwondo continues moving toward greater technological accuracy, competitive transparency, and constant rule development, referee education remains a central pillar in protecting the credibility of the system.
MAS: Media About Sport.
TKD: Taekwondo.
MASTKD: Worldwide Leader on Taekwondo Information.
About The Author
Descubre más desde MASTKD
Suscríbete y recibe las últimas entradas en tu correo electrónico.
