Hope and Dreams Grows from Strength to Strength

 
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Dec. 19) - When it came to helping those in need, reaching out and empowering the powerless, the global Taekwondo family remained active in 2024.
 
In a year in which conflicts seared across the world and generated population displacement, the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation’s work was more critical than ever.
 
World Taekwondo’s vehicle for delivering social benefits for refugees and displaced persons is the THF. The charity is extraordinarily fortunate in that a wide range of persons and organizations have donated to its cause. The standout donations and donors of 2024 were: 

• USD 100,000 from Crown Prince of Fujairah H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Sharqi. Previously, the prince had contributed USD 300,000 in three separate tranches - in 2017, 2020 and 2022.
• USD 50,000 from Wuxi Waychamp Sports Event Management.
• EUR 83,577 from the Olympic Refuge Foundation to support the Taekwondo elements of Paris’ Terrains d’Avenir Program.
• USD 6,000 from Pimol Srivikorn, WT Treasurer and THF Board of Trustees member, who previously donated USD 20,000 in 2022.
• EUR 10,000 from Hassan Sadeghi, a World Taekwondo International Referee.
• USD 250,000 donated annually by World Taekwondo for THF projects.  

 
Donations were also made in formats other than cash. In addition, World Taekwondo President & THF Chairman Chungwon Choue and World Taekwondo senior executives have also donated regularly throughout the year.

 
One acre of new artificial turf, related materials for installation, and mats were donated by Taishan Sports Group to the Azraq Refugee Canp in Jordan. Taishan, one of the world’s leaders in sports equipment and infrastructure innovation, empowers grassroots initiatives and champions youth engagement in sports. The donation of the new turf to Azraq Camp had another benefit, as it allowed the previously installed turf to be re-used at the Za’atari Refugee Camp.
   
Jordan, and the two refugee camps, are central to the THF’s efforts. Many of the donations to the THF are used to hold the annual Hope and Dreams Sports Festival and upgrade existing facilities.
 
The first ever THF Hope and Dreams Sports Festival was held in the country in 2022. The 2023 event expanded to offer Baseball5 as well as Taekwondo competitions, and featured some 300 refugees and displaced persons.
 
In 2024, the event expanded again, to a three-day multi-sports event organized by the THF and World Taekwondo in collaboration with the World Baseball Softball Confederatio, Badminton World Federation and International Basketball Federation.
 
There were exercises and demonstrations of each sport at the Azraq and Za’atari Refugee Camps, followed by competitions across two fields of play in Amman. Competitors came from the Jordanian villages of Balila, Maqbeleh and Summa as well as the camps.
 
The THF aims to work with an increasing number of International Federations to use sport to promote health and well-being among refugees and displaced people,
 
The 2025 edition of the Hope and Dreams Sports Festival is expected to be held from April 29 to May 3.