RTC coach hopes Taekwondo body, minister to meet soon over core sports exclusion

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Thomas Tang

SIBU: Rajang Taekwondo Club (RTC) chief coach Thomas Tang is confident that Youth and Sports Ministry will hold a meeting with Taekwondo Malaysia (TM) soon to discuss taekwondo’s exclusion from the national core sports and Sukma.

Tang said this after sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced on Wednesday that he would be meeting Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (PSM) president Datuk Ahmad Ismail next week over the issue.

“I am confident that the minister will also hold a meeting with Taekwondo Malaysia (TM) to understand further the development of taekwondo in the country and eventually get the sport reinstated in Sukma,” he said.

Three sports, including weightlifting, were dropped from the list of 19 core sports in December last year due to underperforming, doping and power struggle in the national associations. The three sports were also excluded from Sukma.

PSM insisted that National Sports Council (NSC) reinstate sepak takraw as a core sport and include it in this year’s Sukma in Perak.

Tang hoped that the meeting between PSM and Khairy would produce positive result that could lead to reinstatement of sepak takraw, taekwondo and weightlifting as core sports.

“Taekwondo is a universal sport and it should not be dropped from the list of national core sports,” Tang argued, adding that the sport has a huge attraction and big fan base.

Meanwhile, RTC exponents are currently preparing for the National Taekwondo Championship to be held in Kuala Lumpur next month. Tang said the national meet would be held before the zone championship, hampering their plan to use the state-level competition to select fighters for the meet.

“Even so, I believe our exponents Tie Ton Siong, 21, and Tie Sing Da, 20, will get the tickets to compete in the national championship.

“The two are former Sukma exponents,” he added.