The Lebanese Taekwondo Federation has officially announced the Asian Championship and the annual Beirut Open Tournament in its fifth edition, which will be organized from September 2 to 13 at the "Nihad Naufal Complex" (Zouk Mikael) under the sponsorship of the Commander of the Lebanese Army, Major General Joseph Aoun, and under the supervision of the international and Asian federations for the sport. The official announcement took place during a large press conference held at the "Le Royal" Hotel (Dbayeh).
Attending the event were Colonel Mohammed Harz, representing the Commander of the Lebanese Army, South Korean Ambassador to Lebanon Il Park and his wife, Asian Taekwondo Federation President Professor Lee Kyook Seok, Lebanese Taekwondo Federation President Dr. Habib Zreifeh and federation members, as well as members of the Lebanese taekwondo community, including club presidents, coaches, and media representatives.
The press conference began with the Lebanese national anthem, followed by opening remarks from the event's host, Maria Al-Jadham. Dr. Zreifeh emphasized the strong relationship with the Asian Federation under President Professor Seok.
The third speech was delivered by Professor Seok, who expressed his pleasure in being in Lebanon to witness two major international events, highlighting the significant role the Lebanese Federation, led by Dr. Zreifeh, plays in the Asian sporting family in developing and promoting taekwondo, wishing for the success of the Asian Championship. He also spoke about the Asian Federation Management Board meeting on Friday morning and the General Assembly of the Asian Federation that will be held on Friday noon with the participation of 30 countries from the largest continent in the world.
In turn, the Director of the Asian Championship, Master Mark Harb (Secretary-General of the Lebanese Taekwondo Federation), spoke about the tournament and the Beirut Open, thanking the sponsors. He mentioned the participation of around 2,000 male and female players from 39 countries, adding that dozens of foreign and Lebanese referees will officiate the matches. He noted that the opening of the championship will take place at 5 PM on Sunday, September 3, at the Nihad Naufal Complex. Harb discussed the technical, administrative, and logistical matters and clarified that around 90 male and female athletes would represent Lebanon, who are in high technical readiness.
The final speech was from the South Korean Ambassador, who praised the development of taekwondo in Lebanon thanks to an active federation and its professional work despite the difficult economic conditions in the country. He considered 2023 to be the year of taekwondo in Lebanon. Dr. Zreifeh then answered questions from journalists, discussing the participation of players in the "Grand Prix" events and the Asian Games occurring in September, wishing for good results.
