World Taekwondo stages Para Taekwondo Training Camp
Nine of the 70 participants were able to attend through an IPC Sport for Mobility grant 15 Sep 2026
To further develop the sport, World Taekwondo held a Para Taekwondo Training Camp in Muju, Korea, between 1-6 July 2026 bringing together 70 athletes from 24 countries. The group included two refugee Para athletes - Elaf Ismaael Al-Qublan and Mohammad Maher Karman - from the Zaatari Refugee Camp.
Through grant funding provided by the International Paralympic Committee’s Sport for Mobility programme, World Taekwondo was able to bring two Para athletes apiece from Iraq and Myanmar to the training camp, alongside three Para athletes from Afghanistan and Namibia respectively. For the Para athletes from Namibia, it was their first experience of Para taekwondo, highlighting the expanding global reach of the sport.
Sessions at the Training Camp covered areas including power and precision, defence and counter-attacking, competition simulation, and recovery and refinement.
On 3 July, World Taekwondo President Dr Chungwon Choue attended the training camp and addressed participants.
“World Taekwondo remains steadfast in its commitment to providing opportunities to athletes from all around the world, regardless of their background,” President Choue said.
“Our global growth has helped to establish Taekwondo as a leading Olympic and Paralympic sport, and this has also been recognised by the International University Sports Federation, who have added Para Taekwondo to next year’s World University Games in Chungcheong. That brings the total number of Taekwondo medal events up to 38, cementing our position as the third biggest sport on the programme.
“Our slogan for 2026 is Reborn Together, and we are determined to work closely with our Member National Associations to continue the rapid growth of Para Taekwondo globally. The recent appointment of Paralympic gold medallist and Para Taekwondo Committee member Lisa Kjaer as a World Taekwondo Council member will further support this growth.”
Following the training camp, 68 of the 70 Para athletes competed at the Gangwon Chuncheon 2026 World Para Taekwondo Open Challenge between 8-9 July, including the nine Para athletes who were supported by the IPC’s Sport for Mobility grant.
The product of a grant agreement with the Toyota Mobility Foundation, the IPC Sport for Mobility programme has been designed to offer tailored and targeted initiatives that meet IPC member organisations where they are. Launched in 2025, 14 customised initiatives are advancing Para sport globally, benefiting all IPC member organisations.
The Sport Technical Training initiative as part of Sport for Mobility aims to support International Federations grow the pool of coaches, classifiers and technical officials in their respective sports.
