WT - 40TH BIRTHDAY

As the World Taekwondo Federation (WT) celebrates 40 years since its inception today, President of the WT, Chungwon Choue, declared the sport "a force for good in the world."

Established in Korea in 1973, the WT now has 204 member nation associations (MNA) and has been integral in making taekwondo one of the world's boom sports.

Taekwondo made its debut as an official medal sport at the Olympic Games in 2000 and the WT has since guided many innovations, helping it reach around 70 million practitioners worldwide.

The sport is constantly evolving, with the recent introduction of new equipment such as the sophisticated Protector and Scoring System (PSS) and the Instant Video Replay (IVR), making for a fairer adjudication process.

World Taekwondo does not have a singular birthday, but the name "Taekwondo" was officially born on April 11, 1955, and World Taekwondo Day is celebrated on September 4 to commemorate the IOC's decision to include Taekwondo in the Olympic program in 1994.

Key Dates:
1. April 11, 1955: The name "Taekwondo" was officially established, a date celebrated as the birthday of the martial art itself.
2. May 28, 1973: The World Taekwondo Federation (now World Taekwondo) was established in South Korea.
3. September 4, 1994: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to include Taekwondo on the Olympic program, a date commemorated annually as Taekwondo Day.

Taekwondo Day:
Taekwondo Day is celebrated globally on September 4th.
This day marks the significant milestone of Taekwondo being recognized as an Olympic sport.
World Taekwondo also celebrates the growing global community of athletes, coaches, and fans who embody the sport's values.