World Taekwondo Federation awards Azerbaijani delegates

Baku. 12 December. REPORT.AZ/ Baku hosted Gala Night of World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). 

Report informs, various awards was presented and Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) founded at the ceremony held in Badamdar Hotel.

WTF President Choue Chung-won congratuklated the minister of youth and sports Azad Rahimov on gold medal won by Radik Isayev in 2016 Summer Olympic Games held in Rio-de-Janeiro. He also announced that Djibouti joins the supreme entity as 207th full member.

WTF Vice-President and Azerbaijan Taekwondo Federation President Kemaleddin Heydarov received an award from Choue Chung-won. K.Heydarov thanked the Korean guest for his decision to hold final stage of Grand Prix tournament and teams world championship in Baku. Minster Azad Rahimov also received diploma from WTF President.

Then winners in various nominations were announced. Twice Olympic champion, British Jade Jones was named a best female taekwondo fighter of the year.

Ahmad Abughaush, the first Olympic gold medalist from Jordan, won nomination of best male taekwondo fighter.

Georgian Maria Merkuri and Canadian Song-chul Kim named respectively best female and male referees of the year.

Azerbaijan Taekwondo Federation was named a best national federation. Executive vice-president Nagi Safarov received the award.

The nomination for best coach went to Iranian specialist heading Azerbaijani national team Reza Mehmandoust.

The last event of the gala awards was the THF Challenge. Branded “Break Boards, Change Lives” the event was rapid fire, with various VIPs being invited to the stage to break a board, pledge a donation and challenge another person present. A.Rahimov and K.Heydarov donated $30,000 to Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, on behalf of National Olympic Committee, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Azerbaijan Taekwondo Federation.

The ceremony continued with dinner and musical performance.