In implementation of government directives .. a Jordanian sports project to activate youth centers and spread Taekwondo in the governorates

Based on government directives, the project was implemented in April last year, while the sustainability plan began in July, through training and rehabilitation programs in youth centers, leading to belt tests.

The Minister of Youth, Dr. Raed Al-Adwan, attended today the events of the black belt "Dan 1" tests for graduates of youth centers, held in the Arena Hall, with the participation of 432 young men and women from various governorates of the Kingdom.

Dr. Al-Adwan said to the Petra News Agency today that the attention to the youth and sports sectors reflects the keenness to translate the royal directives in empowering youth and preparing youth and sports facilities to serve young people and meet their needs.

He valued the partnership with the Jordan Taekwondo Federation in developing a training path for Taekwondo sport within youth centers, based on investing the time of young people, raising their physical fitness, and enhancing the values of discipline and sportsmanship among them.

He explained that the program comes within the sports empowerment path implemented by the Ministry within the plan to activate youth centers, which includes developing programs, preparing infrastructure, and empowering workers with youth, noting the sustainability and expansion of the program, as it moved from the first to the third stage, along with the participation of young women in the training program.

For his part, the Secretary and Media Spokesperson of the Jordan Taekwondo Federation, Faisal Al-Abdallah, told Petra that the project represents a model of partnership aimed at activating youth centers, spreading Taekwondo, and reaching promising talents in various governorates of the Kingdom.

He pointed out that the project contributed to expanding the base of practicing the game and providing training opportunities for young people in remote areas, which helps discover talents and work on their development and replenish the Taekwondo system with players capable of continuing to develop.

He added that the partnership with the Ministry of Youth contributed to reaching categories of young people who did not previously have sufficient opportunities to practice Taekwondo and train on it within specialized centers, stressing the importance of continuing this approach in discovering talents from various regions of the Kingdom.

Taekwondo coach and member of the supervision committee on the project of training youth centers in the governorates, Basel Al-Dweik, said that monthly visits to centers spread across various regions of the Kingdom contributed to discovering promising talents, explaining that the evaluation process includes the physical abilities of the players, along with their ambition and motivation for development and their love for Taekwondo.

He added that a number of discovered players aspire to become coaches or players within the national team, confirming that the project contributes to discovering talents in remote areas and spreading sports culture in them.

He explained that the program extends over six months, during which the player learns discipline and sets clear goals, leading to obtaining a black belt and an international certificate, which constitutes an incentive for players and female players in the benefiting centers.

Al-Dweik pointed out that the program started with 15 youth centers, before gradually expanding to 30 centers, then 45, reaching currently 60 centers, noting that today's test is the second within the project, after 200 players obtained the black belt in the first test, while the current test witnessed the participation of 432 players and female players.

Regarding the participation of girls, Al-Dweik said that there are some reservations in remote areas towards girls practicing combat sports, but the project witnessed great cooperation from the families and clear enthusiasm from the girls, along with their commitment to training schedules and the instructions of the coaches.

For his part, Taekwondo Examination Committee member Tariq Al-Lababidi confirmed that the tests witnessed a large and organized turnout from various regions of the Kingdom, pointing out that the number of participants was high, and their technical levels reflected their possession of distinctive sports materials.

He explained that the examination process is based on the basic axes approved by the International Taekwondo Federation, including Poomsae, basic movements and strikes, in addition to the combat axis, which allows the evaluation of a number of technical and physical skills, including speed of reaction, flexibility, and physical fitness.

He added that the tests also include performing strikes on specific targets to measure accuracy and skill, explaining that the final mark is calculated out of 100, and passing the test requires obtaining more than 60 marks, with the marks distributed across the different evaluation axes.

The beneficiaries of the project said that their participation in the training program and the black belt tests constituted an important opportunity to develop their skills in Taekwondo, confirming the importance of holding such programs in youth centers in the governorates, due to the opportunities they provide to young men and women to practice the game, discover their abilities, and develop them.

Mujahed Qandeel, one of the beneficiaries of the project, said that the Ministry of Youth provided them with the opportunity to practice Taekwondo in the governorates, appreciating this initiative that provided them with the possibility of training and development in the game.

He expressed his hope that this participation would be a step towards continuing training and raising his technical level, leading to achieving his ambition to join the ranks of the national Taekwondo team.

Ayman Al-Qawasmeh, one of the beneficiaries of the West Irbid Youth Center, said that his participation in the activity came out of his love for Taekwondo and his desire to develop his level, appreciating the holding of such events in the governorates, due to the opportunities they provide for young people to practice sports and activate sports movement, appreciating the role of the Ministry of Youth in supporting these initiatives.

In the context of the participation of girls, Razan Haitham, one of the beneficiaries of the Jerina Youth Center, said that her participation in the project constituted an important opportunity for girls to practice Taekwondo, expressing her thanks to the Ministry of Youth for providing this experience, and pointing out that the Taekwondo player Fadi Kharfan was a source of inspiration for her and her colleagues, and contributed to enhancing their ambition to practice the game and reach advanced levels in it.

Shahd Al-Shawabke, from the Jerina Youth Center, said that her participation constituted a distinctive experience, expressing her happiness at being one of the first girls in the governorates to undergo this experience, and appreciating the role of the Ministry of Youth in providing the opportunity for them to participate and train in Taekwondo.

For her part, Fatima Zeidan, from the same center, said that the initiative represents an important step for girls in the governorates, especially because Taekwondo provides skills that help them defend themselves, in addition to its sports benefits and enhancing confidence and discipline.

The project comes within the partnership between the Ministry of Youth and the Jordan Taekwondo Federation to benefit from youth centers in training players and reaching promising talents, especially in the governorates and areas far from training centers in the capital, enhancing the spread of the game and opening the field for a new generation of Taekwondo practitioners in the Kingdom.