Kassman shines at taekwondo tourney

By MARTHA DERUAGE
KASSMAN Taekwondo club in Port Moresby won the 2018 Korean Ambassador’s Cup last Saturday at Caritas Technical School, Port Moresby.
The University Taekwondo club finished second and in third was Master Stone’s Taekwondo club.
The tournament had 85 participants from the city’s eight Taekwondo clubs.
In respective weight categories the athletes participated in the Poomsae (forms) as well as Kyorugi (fighting) categories.
The annual tournament was co-hosted by South Korean ambassador to PNG Kang Kym-gu and the Taekwondo PNG Federation.
The Korean embassy has backed Taekwondo PNG to co-host the tournament since 2011.
Ambassador Kang Gym-gu said taekwondo was a form of martial arts with social benefits such as the promotion of discipline, obedience, integrity, perseverance and focus on positive attitudes.
Kym-gu commended PNG Taekwondo federation John Cholai for organising the event and he extended his gratitude to Caritas Technical School.
“Naturally, this event consolidates the two nations, PNG and Korea,” Ambassador Kang Gym-gu said.
“I’m looking forward to taekwondo spreading in PNG where the good teaching of discipline and positive spirit may influence people to build a peaceful and harmonious country.”
President Cholai said the event was important to identify talent to represent the country.
Cholai said the federation would identify athletes for the elite train-on squad in preparation for next year’s Pacific Games in Samoa and the 2020 Olympics.
Cholai said PNG Taekwondo aimed to win gold medals at the Oceania Taekwondo Union Presidents Cup later in the year.
“We will announce four athletes and an official to represent PNG at the Oceania Taekwondo Union Presidents Cup in French Polynesia next month,” Cholai said.
“The aim of the Ambassador’s Cup was to see the talent, check on form and encourage good standards before selecting a national team so that will hopefully win us some medals.”