Crown Prince of Fujairah attends World Taekwondo Gala Awards

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, attended the World Taekwondo Gala Awards honouring outstanding individuals and organisations from the 2025 sporting season held at the Al Bahar Hotel.

During the event, Sheikh Mohammed Al Sharqi highlighted the role of sport in supporting Fujairah’s vision and advancing the emirate’s comprehensive and sustainable development. The ceremony was attended by Dr Chungwon Choue, President of World Taekwondo Federation, along with senior officials and international sports figures.

He underscored the continued support of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, for the development of the sports sector, noting its importance in nurturing athletic talent and encouraging participation in international competitions, thereby enhancing the standing of Fujairah and the UAE on regional and global stages.

Crown Prince of Fujairah commended the efforts of World Taekwondo and the organising committees of the Fujairah Open International Taekwondo Championship and the Arab Cup, praising their high organisational standards and adherence to international best practices, which reflect the emirate’s readiness to host major sporting events.

Recognising achievements from the 2025 season, the prestigious Gala Awards brought together the world’s leading figures in Taekwondo to honour the athletes, coaches, referees and Member National Associations (MNAs) who left a lasting mark on the sport over the past year.

In his opening address, President Choue expressed his sincere gratitude to the Crown Prince of Fujairah and reflected on a memorable year for Taekwondo, highlighting the sport’s continued global development, competitive excellence, and the emergence of new talents across both Olympic and Para Taekwondo.

Belgium’s Sarah Chaari was crowned Female Athlete of the Year after another standout year on the international stage. Her results included gold at the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships along with silvers at the Bangkok 2025 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge and the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, further cementing her status among the sport’s elite.

The Male Athlete of the Year award was presented to Henrique Marques Rodrigues Fernandes of Brazil following an exceptional season that included a memorable gold medal at the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships. He also triumphed at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge events in Bangkok and Muju Taekwondowon, and won a bronze medal at the first-ever World Taekwondo Under 21 Championships in Nairobi.

The world’s leading athletes in Para Taekwondo were also recognised during the evening.

China’s Yujie Li was named Para Taekwondo Female Athlete of the Year, following an outstanding season that saw her claim gold medals at the President’s Cup Asia and the Asian Championships.

Ayoub Adouich of Morocco received the Para Taekwondo Male Athlete of the Year award after securing gold at the 2025 Open Challenge.

In recognition of their contribution to the sport, Ivan Penava of Croatia was named Male Referee of the Year, while Ji Hyun Yeom of Korea received the Female Referee of the Year award.

The Coach of the Year honour went to Hechmi Jendoubi of Tunisia, who helped his athletes to win the country’s first two gold medals in the history of the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi. Meanwhile, Kabiraj Negi Lama of Nepal was presented with the Para Taekwondo Coach of the Year award, after playing a key role in the country’s historic first-ever Paralympic medal in 2024, as well as their bronze medal at the Asian Youth Para Games Dubai 2025.

The Kick of the Year Award was presented to CJ Nickolas of the USA, whose dynamic techniques and explosive power consistently electrify the arena and captivate fans around the world.

In the institutional categories, the Chinese Taekwondo Association received the MNA of the Year (Contribution) award in recognition of the successful organisation of the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships, while USA Taekwondo was presented with the MNA of the Year (MNA Ranking) award, based on the latest World Taekwondo MNA rankings.