CAIRO -As part of its ongoing efforts to spread Korean culture and arts, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, in co-operation with the Egyptian Taekwondo Federation, this week organised the 6th Korean Ambassador's Taekwondo Championship at Al-Shams Sporting Club in Cairo. The complex of halls in the club looked like a microcosm of Korea, full of hundreds of Korean and Egyptian taekwondo players. “This championship is a good opportunity for Egyptian youngsters to learn more about taekwondo. We're trying to encourage Egyptian youngsters to develop their technical skills in this martial art,” said South Korean Ambassador Jong-kon Yoon. During the championship, a 20-member Korean kukkiwon (Korea's wellknown taekwondo team) demonstration team gave an impressive taekwondo performance. “This championship is not the only thing we're doing to encourage taekwondo in Egypt, as we're also involved in starting up taekwondo classes all over Egypt and bringing Korean instructors here to teach this discipline, not only as a martial art and sport but as a spiritual art too,” the Ambassador told The Egyptian Gazette. The championship is held annually to help promote taekwondo among Egyptians, say organisers. “I'm impressed by the high technical standards of many Egyptian taekwondo players. The sport is becoming quite popular with Egyptians,” Kim-choon Keun, the head of the kukkiwon demonstration team, told this newspaper. “This is my first time to head the team and participate in the championship. I'm very impressed; the event has been well organised.” The championship this year was quiet different from last year's, which included traditional and modern Korean dancing besides taekwondo demonstration. This year, the event was devoted solely to taekwondo. At the end of the two-day event, the Korean Ambassador presented awards to the Egyptian and the Korean players.
