For David Harris, building Canadian Taekwondo’s future means connecting participation at club level with a sustainable national organization and a competitive international program. As Executive Director, he identifies financial stability, athlete development, and cooperation with provincial and territorial partners as essential to that work.

The Canada Open is part of that wider vision. As preparations continue for Vancouver 2027, Harris sees the tournament as both an opportunity for Canadian athletes to face international opposition at home and a meeting point for the global Taekwondo community.

From your position as Executive Director, what are Taekwondo Canada’s main strengths and greatest challenges? What priorities are guiding your work toward Lima 2027 and Los Angeles 2028?

One of our greatest strengths is the passion and commitment of our people. Our athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, clubs, and provincial and territorial associations contribute countless hours to the sport. We also have an excellent staff, and our high-performance team, led by Dr. Allan Wrigley, continues to pursue excellence nationally and internationally.

Taekwondo has tremendous diversity, a strong grassroots foundation, and an established international presence. We can engage Canadians of all ages and backgrounds, from recreational participants to athletes aspiring to compete at the Olympic and Paralympic levels.

Our challenges include financial sustainability, organizational capacity, and providing consistent support across a geographically large and diverse country. Strengthening our relationships with provincial and territorial partners is essential. We need clear communication, shared objectives, and a collective commitment to growing the sport.

Developing internationally competitive athletes also requires consistent coaching, quality training and competition opportunities, sport science, mental performance resources, and financial support.

Looking toward Lima and Los Angeles, our priorities are organizational strength, athlete development, and international performance. We must diversify revenue, pursue sponsorships, improve member services, and ensure that emerging athletes and their coaches have the tools to progress.

Lima 2027 will help us measure our progress within the Pan American region, while Los Angeles 2028 is a major milestone. But success cannot be measured exclusively by medals. It must also be reflected in our programs, our people, our membership, and the confidence Canadians have in the organization.

“Our goal should not simply be to participate in the next Olympic cycle. It should be to build a Canadian taekwondo system that is capable of consistently competing with the best in the world.”

How do you work with provincial organizations, clubs, and coaches to increase participation and strengthen the pathway to high performance in Kyorugi and Poomsae?

We work closely with our provincial and territorial sport organizations to build on strong programs at club level. The aim is to make growth intentional and create a pathway from grassroots participation to elite competition, with international success as a goal.

I believe our Kyorugi and Poomsae programs are very healthy. We are excited about the opportunity for athletes from both disciplines to demonstrate their abilities on the world stage at the 2027 Canada Open.

“We are excited about demonstrating the respective abilities of athletes in both disciplines on the world stage at our 2027 Canada Open.”

Taekwondo Canada recently announced additional government funding. What improvements will this investment enable, and how will you balance high performance with grassroots development and accessibility?

The supplemental funding provided by Sport Canada is greatly appreciated and needed for our organization to continue moving forward nationally and internationally.

It allows us to develop programs with provincial and territorial organizations to strengthen grassroots participation, while also providing support for elite athletes who have worked hard to reach international competition.

It is a balancing act. Through proper consultation with key stakeholders on new programs and improvements to existing ones, I believe we can recognize and support the efforts of participants at every level.

“With proper consultations on new or revamped existing programming with key stakeholders I believe that we can ensure that those at all levels are being recognized and rewarded for their efforts.”

Vancouver will host the Canada Open on March 5–7, 2027. What makes this edition attractive to international delegations, and what new features can athletes and coaches expect?

The 2027 Canada Open is another opportunity to welcome the world to Canada for what I believe is one of the best Open tournaments held each year.

With our municipal, provincial, and national partners, we have worked to improve the event every year. We want international visitors to enjoy their experience both in the competition area and in the community of Vancouver.

The quality of the tournament’s operations, along with our staff’s work with World Taekwondo and PATU, is central to that experience. We continue to learn what athletes need and work to provide it.

We have also added a Para component this year. I encourage national member associations to contact us about the possibility of bringing their Para athletes to Vancouver in 2027.

“We have added a Para component to the tournament this year and would encourage international MNAs to inquire about the potential of bringing their Para athletes to Vancouver in 2027.”

Where can delegations find official information about disciplines, age categories, ranking points, registration, and accommodation, and get assistance planning their participation?

I encourage national member associations, athletes, coaches, and everyone interested in competing in Vancouver in March to visit Taekwondo Canada’s official website.

That is where we will provide the information needed to plan participation, including links to our hotel and airline partners for the tournament.

“Our website will provide all of the necessary information that all require including hotel and airline links to partnerships for the tournament.”

What opportunities do you see for greater international cooperation, and what role would you like Taekwondo Canada and the Canada Open to play?

We have worked hard to build relationships with national member associations around the world. Our high-performance team, led by Dr. Allan Wrigley, together with Carla Bacco and Brittany Rich, has consistently demonstrated a willingness to develop and share ideas with other nations.

We have also benefited from the support and exchanges we have had throughout the international Taekwondo community. Those relationships help us grow and become a stronger contributor on the world stage.

Taekwondo Canada is prepared to take a leadership role and assist other national associations both in and out of competition. Our relationships with those associations, World Taekwondo, and PATU are important to our future.

I would like to close by inviting the world to Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 5–7, 2027, for the Canada Open. Our country is ready and willing to welcome everyone.

“Taekwondo Canada is very prepared to be a world leader in the sport of taekwondo, assisting other MNAs both in and out of the ring.”

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