Opening ceremony held in Bishkek for WT-ADF Kyrgyzstan Cares Program

By Seok-Jae Kang,
Vice President, Asia Journalists Association 

BISHKEK: An opening ceremony took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for the WT-Asia Development Foundation (ADF) Kyrgyzstan Cares Program on March 28, 2023.

The ceremony was held at the Sport Complex Sun City in downtown Bishkek with the attendance of WT President Dr. Chungwon Choue, Mr. Sadyr Mamytov, president of the National Olympic Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Mr. Aleksei Pak, president of the Taekwondo Association of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Also on hand were Mr. Khan Viacheslav, president of the Public Association of Koreans of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Park Ki-suk, consul of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Mr. Kim Jai-young, director of the Korean Education Center in Bishkek, Mr. Kim Ki-soo, president of the Korean Association in the Kyrgyz Republic, and Dr. Seok-jae Kang, senior consultant for the WT Cares Program.

Under the theme “Dream through Taekwondo,” WT teamed up with the Taekwondo Association of the Kyrgyz Republic to kick off the WT-ADF Cares Program on July 1, 2022 for a one-year project.

The $30,000 WT-ADF Kyrgyzstan Cares Program 2022-2023 was funded by the ADF and the Kyrgyz Taekwondo Association is running the program by dispatching local taekwondo instructors to two centers: one in downtown Bishkek, orphans of SOS Children’s Villages; and the other in Teplokluchenka near Issyk-Kul Lake for mostly orphans at the Ak-Suu Boarding School.

The Kyrgyzstan Cares Program offers about 150 orphan children two hours of taekwondo education and training three times a week, thus helping them, who are socially vulnerable, with the opportunity to foster family warmth, health, and dreams through taekwondo.

The opening ceremony drew some 20 Cares students from the Bishkek center and performed a taekwondo demonstration, drawing big applause from the participants. A 40-member taekwondo demonstration team of the Kyrgyz Taekwondo Association also show off their taekwondo skills in front of WT President Dr. Choue.

The ceremony also featured a traditional Kyrgyz drum performance and a fan dance. A video on the WT Cares Program was shown for the participants.

During the ceremony, WT President Choue delivered a WT Kyrgyzstan MNA plaque, a board for the 2023 WT-ADF Cares Program, and a plaque of appreciation to Kyrgyz Taekwondo Association President Pak.

In his opening speech, WT President Choue said, “I am pleased to visit Kyrgyzstan for the opening ceremony of the WT-ADF Kyrgyzstan Cares Program and my visit is more meaningful as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of WT and at the same time the 30th anniversary of the Kyrgyz Taekwondo Association.”

“The WT Cares Program is one of the flagship contributions of WT to the world, through which we give hope and dreams to those in need of help, especially underprivileged children,” DR. Choue said. “That is the reason why Taekwondo and WT are more respected among international sports federations.”

“Through taekwondo education and training, I strongly believe that the children benefitting from this program will grow up as good global citizens. I look forward to you winning medals at international taekwondo championships around the world,” WT President Choue said.

He concluded his speech by saying that “You are the future of taekwondo, you are the dream and hope of taekwondo.”

Prior to the opening ceremony, WT President Choue met with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov to exchange opinions on the development of taekwondo in the Kyrgyz Republic.

In the afternoon of March 29, WT President Choue and other WT and Kyrgyz Taekwondo Association leaders visited the Rukh Ordo Cultural Center in Cholpon Ata, the Issyk-kul Lake region, to meet some 35 orphan children from the WT Cares Program center in Teplokluchenka.

A total of 32 Cares students showed off their taekwondo skills to draw big applause from the participants.

At the event, WT President Choue promised to visit the Cares orphanage when he visits Kyrgyzstan. Dr. Choue was given the title of an honorary professor of the Kyrgyz State Physical and Sport Academy by the academy’s rector, Dr. Azizbayev Saitdin Seyitbekovich, in the morning of March 27 at the office of the Kyrgyz NOC president.