Moldovan Prime Minister Pledges to Promote Taekwondo Across Nation During Meeting with WTF President

Moldovan Prime Minister Valeriu Streleț and Moldovan Youth and Sports Minister Loretta Handrabura pledged to strategically promote the Olympic sport of taekwondo nationwide during a meeting with WTF President Chungwon Choue in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau on Friday.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Moldovan Taekwondo Federation President Igor Luzefovici, Premier Strelet discussed his plans for the development of taekwondo and outlined his commitment to opening a WTF Regional Training Centre by 2018. The facility would be the first dedicated sport academy in the nation, Handrabura added and reflects the growing prominence of the sport in the country.

Minister Handrabura also announced that taekwondo will become an optional sport in elementary schools nationwide and expressed Moldova’s interest in hosting one of the World Taekwondo Grand Prix series events in 2016.

Luzefovici, a strong patron of taekwondo in Moldova, stated that the centre would serve as an excellent training hub for neighbouring countries as Moldova, at the heart of Eastern Europe, is easily accessible.

"I was very happy to hear of Moldova’s ambitious plans for taekwondo from the prime minister and sports minister," said WTF President Choue, who flew into Moldova on the first day of the 2015 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series 1 in Moscow for the meetings.

"The WTF is ready to fully support these ambitious programmes, which have the potential to propel Moldova forward as a regional force in taekwondo and greatly increase participation throughout the region. We are committed to working with all our 206 national federations to promote taekwondo, healthy lifestyles and Olympism around the world. Taekwondo is a global sport with global appeal and we are working hard to try and realise its full potential."

For more information, contact:

Justin Shea

+44 7917 825412

sg@wtf.org

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