Encuentre noticias de MASTKD.com, líder mundial en información sobre Taekwondo, publicadas en inglés.
KOMOTINI, Greece — Athanasios “Sakis” Pragalos, one of the most influential leaders in Taekwondo globally and current vice president of World Taekwondo, will receive the “Nikos Samaras” Award in Greece this May, a distinction that extends beyond the specific sphere of martial arts and places him on a broader scale of recognition within sports governance.
SANTIAGO, Chile — The institutional crisis at the Chilean Taekwondo Federation revealed a key fact: the board’s term expired on October 16, 2025, and the election process convened to renew leadership was suspended by court order, preventing the appointment of new leadership and leaving the federation leaderless.
SYDNEY, Australia — Dr. Choue Chung-won, president of World Taekwondo, confirmed his attendance in Sydney to participate in the 20th Anniversary Oceania Taekwondo Union Gala Dinner & Awards, scheduled for March 27, 2026, and will also attend the 2026 Oceania Taekwondo Championships, set for March 28 and 29 in Australia.
LAS VEGAS, United States — The 2026 U.S. Open left a strong mark on the international Taekwondo calendar. The United States not only organized a large-scale, high-level competition in Las Vegas, but also won the Kyorugi G2 Senior medal count, consolidating a dual sporting and institutional message in a tournament that also included Poomsae, Freestyle, and Para Taekwondo, as well as categories such as Junior, Cadet, Ultra, and Tiger.
The Pan American Taekwondo Union (PATU) began a new technical era with the appointment of Myung Chan Kim as Technical Director, a position that brought in someone with extensive continental experience and international recognition in taekwondo. His debut in the role took place in Las Vegas, in a particularly important context for the region and for the United States on the road to Los Angeles 2028.
World Taekwondo confirmed that there will be no changes to the schedule in Tashkent, where the World Taekwondo Junior Championships, the Executive Council meeting and the General Assembly will all proceed as planned, sending a message of sporting and institutional stability after doubts raised in recent hours.
![2026 U.S. Open Championships [Photos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.mastkd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/US-OPEN-2026-GALERIA.jpg?fit=637%2C478&ssl=1)
Images of the 2026 U.S. Open Championships, held from March 5 to 8 at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Kyorugi, Poomsae and Para Taekwondo brought together athletes, coaches and teams from around the world.
New USA Taekwondo National Team Coach Dae-hoon Lee told MASTKD he joined Team USA to take on a bigger challenge and help to shape the LA 2028 journey, emphasizing that he wants to bring the process and mindset behind elite performance—not just medals. He said his focus will be tactical intelligence, mental and physical toughness, and a trust-based team culture, while blending Korean structure with American individuality to leave a sustainable system through Brisbane 2032.
The CEO of USA Taekwondo Steve McNally, told to MASTKD that the signing of Dae-hoon Lee as National Team Coach was the result of a global search focused on LA 2028 and Brisbane, highlighted his immediate impact on training standards and culture, and confirmed that he will report to Coaching Director Paul Green and will join in the summer, after completing the visa process.
Dae-hoon Lee, one of modern Taekwondo’s most successful athletes, has been appointed as USA Taekwondo’s U.S. National Team Coach and will join the Team USA staff in North Carolina to work with U.S. athletes as the program builds toward the LA 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
