at the FISU
Men's Team Korea
You have perhaps never heard of Poomsae? And yet it’s a sport that will most certainly be talked about in the future within the FISU programme. In fact, for the first time, a Poomsae event was part of the Taekwondo competitions programme, at the instigation of the World Taekwondo Federation, which is represented in Belgrade by its leaders, among which the head of the Federation himself has travelled to Serbia.
Chinese Athlete GuoThe practice of Poomsae is based on a combination of basic actions and movements carried out facing an imaginary opponent. In this way, while practicing Poomsae, each athlete can become more effective in his offensive as well as defensive actions and thus acquire a technique that one could usually obtain in a traditional combat, with a real live opponent across from oneself. The art of poomsae lies in the mastery of one’s breathing and the perfection of techniques.
The carrying out of these techniques reflects the formal beauty of Taekwondo with its magnificent kicks and extraordinary combinations. The mastery of Poomsae is essential in order to obtain the higher grades in Taekwondo and the study of these moves by black belts is therefore part of all the official programmes of the national Federations that are members of the worldwide Federation.
The day before yesterday more than 80 athletes were able to show their mastery of poomsae techniques in three different categories: individual men and women, teams of men and women (teams of three) and co-ed teams, which was the occasion to attribute 5 gold medals; the five first awarded at the 25th Summer Universiad.
Hwang from KoreaHong Sung Chon, the head of the Poomsae commission within the international federation, as well as Ken Min, the head of the FISU Taekwondo technical commission, agreed that at the end of the two days of competition, poomsae had many good years ahead. A full-fledged sports event for just the past few years, poomsae has been taking off in the past 4 years. Although only a bit less than one hundred poomsae athletes came to Belgrade, Hong Sung Chon is ready to bet that “a dazzling development of the sport in the years to come with a real increase in the level of practice in prospect. As early as next year, at the time of the University World Championships in Vigo, Spain, I am ready to bet that we will see double, if not triple as many athletes that will crowd around the tatimis to combat technically and mentally.”
Indeed, all the judges that came to Belgrade, initiated by the FISU and the International Federation that claim to be beyond reproach concerning refereeing, they focused their attention on several essential points that are not just technical. In this way, the judges were intent on not letting anything slip: with the concentration of the athletes, the balance of their gestures, the fluidity of their body movements, the spirit that emanates from their practice as much as their overall behaviour.
Team Vietnam
The president of the international federation, Chungwon Choue, did not forget to underscore, at the end of the competition, the great opportunity that the introduction of poomsae within the FISU programme represented. If this introduction took place at the occasion of the Belgrade Universidad, one must not forget that Taekwondo remains, for the moment, a World Championship sport, which was added to the programme of the 25th Universiad as an optional sport.
Eric Saintrond and the President of the World Taekwondo FederationOf course taekwondo, whose origins date back to the Land of the Morning Calm, Korea, still remains dominated in this case by Asian and Korean players.
It should be noted, however, that this sport is becoming more and more accessible, and that the number of countries participating in competition in Belgrade, nearly 70, and the number of countries represented on the podiums increases with each edition.
George E. Killian, the president of the FISU, by and large congratulated himself on the success of this great first performance of Poomsae, at the occasion of the finals and award ceremony on the site of the Belgrade fair: “it’s magnificent and very pleasant to watch” pointed out President Killian.
Andre from Peru
Co-ed Team Spain
Co-ed Team Korea
George E. Killian awards the men's medallists
Men's Podium
Eric Saintrond awards the women's medallists
Women's podium
