Taekwondo body furious over NSC core sports snub

PETALING JAYA: Taekwondo Malaysia (TM) has hit out at the decision to exclude taekwondo from the National Sports Council’s (NSC) core sports programme.

Speaking to the New Straits Times, TM technical director R Dhanaraj said the organisation had not been expecting taekwondo to be dropped from the programme.

“We regret that nobody contacted us to seek an explanation before making this decision to exclude taekwondo,” he said.

He also said that those who wanted to be part of Malaysian taekwondo but had refused to join TM were now seeking to undermine TM.

“I think this decision stems from an agenda by those looking to undermine TM. We have said the taekwondo community should be united, but some choose to remain outside and cry when they can’t get in,” he said.

Dhanaraj also denied that TM was preventing outsiders from joining, adding that everyone interested in taekwondo in Malaysia should join TM as it is the sport’s national body.

In 2010, the Sports Commissioner’s Office had recognised TM as the sole national governing body for taekwondo. It subsequently became Malaysia’s affiliate to the World Taekwondo Federation.

Other Malaysian taekwondo organisations, such as the Malaysian Taekwondo Federation and the Malaysian Taekwondo Clubs Association, were later invited to join TM.

Dhanaraj also said that athletes’ training under TM was financed by TM itself, and that TM was the only taekwondo organisation in the country which was allowed to nominate athletes for international tournaments such as the SEA Games, the Asian Games, and even the Olympics. - FMT