Chi Taekwondo members to attend the WTF-Kyung Hee University Sport Training Program
Gavin Davison and Jamie Abley of Chi Taekwondo have had their application to attend the WTF-Kyung Hee University Sport Training Program accepted. Both Gavin and Jamie train with Chi Taekwondo in the North East of England and submitted their applications via the national governing body for Taekwondo in Great Britain, the British Taekwondo Control Board (BTCB).
Gavin is a 20 year old from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear and is a 4th Dan Black belt, who has won a great number of major Taekwondo competitions, including the BTCB National Championships, the Commonwealth Cup in Canada whilst representing the England National Team , The Open Windmills Championships (Dutch International Event) as well as many regional and National Championships in the UK. In addition, this will be the second time Gavin has been selected to attend this prestigious training program, having attended in 2009.
Jamie is a 16 year old from Spennymoor, County Durham and is a 3rd Dan Black belt, who began Taekwondo training at the age of 5, with Chi Taekwondo, Spennymoor. He is a three times national champion and a European Bronze medalist, which he won whilst representing Great Britain at the Cadet European Championships. Jamie has just returned from the Belgium A Class Open in Ghent, where he took a silver medal in the senior 54Kg category, a remarkable achievement considering his youngest opponent was three years his senior. Jamie's goal is to become a full-time athlete and a member of the senior Great Britain National team and represent Great Britain at World, European and Olympic Games.
Chi Taekwondo is one of the fastest growing Taekwondo organisations in Great Britain and is a member of the BTCB. The BTCB is the national governing body for the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) in Great Britain.
The course was promoted in Great Britain by the BTCB and announced on the BTCB website in March 2011. The announcement received a great deal of interest from BTCB members and Gavin and Jamie, along with a number of other BTCB athletes were given permission to apply for the course by the BTCB.
The course is promoted by the WTF as part of the WTF Solidarity program to help member national associations promote and develop Taekwondo, as well as foster Taekwondo hopefuls in their own countries.
Only twenty athletes are accepted on each training course worldwide, with only two athletes from any one country allowed to attend the course.
The course takes place in July at the Kyung Hee University in Korea and provides three weeks of intensive sports taekwondo training.
Kyung Hee University has always been a pioneer in the field of Taekwondo, playing a leadership role in upgrading its (Taekwondo) national standard. Having had a successful Taekwondo team since 1960, the University opened Korea's full-time Taekwondo Department in 1983, since then it has enjoyed success after success. A glance at the university's honors is impressive: Kyung Hee graduates have competed in 120 international championships, bringing home 77 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze medals.
The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is the International Federation (IF) member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the competition events of the martial art of Taekwondo. International Federations (IFs) are international non-governmental organisations recognised by the IOC as administering one or more sports at world level.
According to the WTF, "Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind". Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation, and stands among the official games in the Olympics."