UGM Taekwondo Student Club Organization has successfully won third place in the Virtual KTA Worldwide Poomsae and Para-Poomsae Championship 2020. In this championship, UGM Taekwondo UKM gained four golds and one silver, beaten by athlete Rozaan Faros Al Ihsan (Vocational School 2019), Wieke Wahyu C (Faculty of Forestry 2017), Iman Kahfi Aliza (Faculty of Engineering 2019), Tasya Puteri Kumala M (Faculty of Agriculture 2018) and one silver by Fikrul Fanani (Faculty of Engineering 2018).
"Throughout these medal achievements, UGM Taekwondo UKM was declared to have won the 3rd General Champion in this championship," said Iman Kahfi Aliza at UGM Campus on Wednesday (21/10).
Kahfi Aliza revealed that Virtual KTA Worldwide Poomsae and Para-Poomsae Championship 2020 is an international Taekwondo championship organized by Harrogate K.R Ali Taekwondo Academy on 2-4 October 2020 via online Youtube platform.
There were 566 attendants from 60 countries in this event, including Indonesia, namely the UGM Taekwondo Student Club Organization. This international level Taekwondo Championship is quite prestigious because national athletes from various countries follow it.
"This was the first time UGM Taekwondo Student Club Organization has participated in this championship and immediately won third place, while more than 100 classes have competed," he said.
The participation of the UGM Taekwondo Student Club Organization to participate in this championship is a part of purposes to advance the achievements of the UGM Taekwondo Student Club Organization and develop athlete resources as a result of the long-term TC program carried out by the UGM Taekwondo Student Club Organization. In the championship, UGM Taekwondo Student Club Organization appointed a manager, namely Muhammad Wafi, from the Vocational School class of 2018.
Aliza explained that UGM Taekwondo UKM athletes carried out a fairly tough Training Center for two months at the UGM Pancasila Stadium as implementing the Covid-19 health protocol to get this achievement. The Training Center includes physical, mental, and competency activities in the competition classes they joined.
The training is in the mentoring and management of trainers who have special certificates in their fields. In the Training Center, every athlete is required to show their best ability to see whether they deserve to take part in this championship or not.
"Athletes who get command and direction from Ananta Raid and Dhea Maharani Bachtiar have worked incredibly hard to prepare for this championship," he said.
Aliza explained that after a fairly strict training program, the UGM Taekwondo athletes appointed to represent the championship made video recordings for the various classes that joined. The participants were then required to record and then upload the video on YouTube, after which the youtube link was copied, and they were required to send it via the web to the match committee.
Although grateful for the achievement, Aliza said that the match's impression would be more impressive if carried out face-to-face. According to him, a direct competition would be more challenging because it mentally tested him, especially when he entered the field himself against five judges and surrounded by many people from various countries.
"This time, the competition is very different because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, the video with a duration of approximately 2 minutes was sufficient. Only if it were in direct competition, it would be very much fun. Besides, we could also visit the host country and sensed the atmosphere of international matches," he added.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Translator: Natasa A