Taekwondo: MTA's warring factions to finally unite

THE ad hoc committee of the suspended Malaysia Taekwondo Association (MTA) has made the first move to unify the warring factions with an open meeting yesterday and promised to give the clubs more prominent roles.

The committee, chaired by Olympic Council of Malaysia president (OCM) Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar, has identified three components -- State taekwondo associations, non-State bodies like Police and Armed Forces and premier taekwondo clubs -- who can become direct members of the national body with voting rights.

Yesterday's meeting, organised for the first time by the ad hoc committee, was attended by officials from all three associations as well as state taekwondo bodies and taekwondo instructors of the clubs.

Tunku Imran said that the process of ending the turmoil in taekwondo which has crippled the development and welfare of the athletes, will only end when the constitutional amendments are complete and MTA's house is put in order.

He added that the suspended MTA will regain its status as the body to govern taekwondo when all the issues are resolved, at the latest by August, where the other bodies -- Malaysia Taekwondo Federation (MTF) and Malaysia Taekwondo Clubs Association (MTCA) -- will dissolve.
"The priority from everyone involved and the ad hoc committee is to put the sport back on track and look after the welfare of the athletes. Once all issues are settled, we can re-launch MTA by July or August where MTF and MTCA will dissolve themselves," said Tunku Imran.

"There is obviously a situation where the clubs have been doing the work and feel that they didn't receive any support from the state associations.

"Several guidelines have to be adhered to in order to allow clubs to fall under the premier category and most importantly, they must be registered with the Sports Commissioner to be eligible."

The clubs' success rate of producing national junior and senior exponents, membership and effective development programmes are some of the other things which will be monitored before granting them premier status.

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