A Senior Customs Officer of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and President of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF), Mr Frederick Lartey Otu, has been appointed as a member of the World Taekwondo (WT) Development Committee.
World Taekwondo is the governing body of taekwondo globally with 213 nations affiliated to it.
Mr Otu’s appointment followed a stringent review and assessment of over 480 other candidates vying for places on the high profile board of the organisation.
A letter signed by Dr Chungwon Choue, President of World Taekwondo, and sighted by the Times Sports commended Mr Otu whose contribution and dedication to the sport made him a favourite among the nominations.
“I have the pleasure to appoint you as a Member of the Development Committee for the period of 2023 from this appointment letter until the end of the 2025 World Taekwondo Championships,” the letter stated.
“The aim of World Taekwondo over the coming years is to strengthen our status as an Olympic and Paralympic sport including the virtual environment be recognised for our impeccable governance and sustainability, and continue our devotion to helping refugees and displaced persons through Taekwondo.”
“I believe that you will be a valuable asset to World Taekwondo and devote yourself to the cause,” the letter said.
Mr Otu’s appointment was the latest in the string of World Taekwondo engagement in the past few years, supervising international championships across the globe.
Mr Otu became a certified International Taekwondo Referee after passing the prescribed test, and has since rose through the ranks to become a 1st Class International Referee.
The Senior Customs Officer attended the 39th International Taekwondo Referee Seminar in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1999, and participated in the 11th Foreigner’s Taekwondo Instructor Training course organised by the World Taekwondo Academy, Kukkiwon in South Korea in 2005, to become a certified Taekwondo Instructor.
Following that was his election as a Council Member of the African Taekwondo Union in 2017 in Muju, South Korea and was re-elected in 2021.
In the same year of his re-election, the GTF President was appointed as Chairman of the Development Committee of the African Taekwondo Union (AFTU) by the President of the African Taekwondo Union, Mr Ide Issaka.
Mr Otu, who doubles as the 2nd Vice President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) was also appointed as a member of the World Taekwondo Commonwealth Management Board on May 16, 2022 by Dr Chungwon Choue.
He also received a Certificate of Appreciation for his dedicated service and outstanding contribution for the development of taekwondo at the 40th anniversary celebration of World Taekwondo on May 28, 2013.
Until his latest appointment, Mr Otu was a World Taekwondo Technical Delegate.
His responsibilities as Technical Delegate include checking the overall preparations made by an organising committee before a competition and ensure everything has been arranged in strict conformity with the WT competition rules; decide method for drawing of lots and the ration of random weigh-in, and also to approve the results of draw and weigh-in.
Mr Otu becomes the only Ghanaian official to have attained this achievement in the Taekwondo fraternity, and he described it as “an honour for the whole country, so I humbly request for prayers and support from everyone.”
BY ANDREW NORTEY
