On 1st December 2019, Master Coos van den Heuvel, the Acting President of All Europe Taekwon-Do Federation came to Lublin, Poland with a working visit at the AETF HQ.
Master v/d Heuvel arrived to Lublin on Sunday morning and right away visited the Santa Claus tournament of the Lubelski Sportowy Klub Taekwon-Do. The competition was held in the sport hall MOSiR. Master Coos recalled that in this sport hall the European Taekwon-Do Championships were held in 1994, and this was the first time when he visited Lublin. He also mentioned that his previous visit in Lublin took place already eight years ago in January 15th, 2011 by the occasion of the AETF Annual Board Meeting.
This time in the LSKT competition took part almost 280 children and youth. The idea of the tournament is a family picnic promoting the active leisure, combined with competitions. Traditionally, all children received gift packages and certificates of participation from, while the finalists of the tournament received diplomas and medals. The attendees takes part in the lottery. The parents prepared own baked cakes which makes time spent at the competition more enjoyable. Also Master Coos had an opportunity to try parents’ pastries. He also had an opportunity to meet Mrs. Ewa Dados, the journalist of Radio Lublin, the originator of the national charity action “Pomóż Dzieciom Przetrwać Zimę (translation: “Help Children Survive Winter”), who received many awards and distinctions, including the Order of the Smile and the Badge of Honor for Merit for the Protection of Children's Rights. Since almost 10 years the LSKT is supporting this PDPZ action and the participants of the Santa Claus Tournament bring in-kind contribution such as: clothing, footwear, toys, books, sweets, long-term food and learn while they are learning to share and help the other need children. Present was also Mr. Marcin Nowak, the Chairman Deputy of the Lublin City Council.
On Monday Morning the meeting at the AETF HQ started at 9.30 with the summary of the last AETF Congress and AETF meetings held in 2019. Also the preparation to the AETF Annual Board Meeting to be held on 11th January 2020 Warsaw Poland were the main issue of the meeting. Master Coos familiarized himself with the report of Master Alexander Dunbar, the Chair of The AETF Tournament and Umpire Committee who visited and checked the facilitates of the Euros 2020 to be held from 29th April to 3rd May 2020 in Bratislava, Slovakia as well as the possible venue for the Euros 2021 in La Nuccia, Spain. The recommendation of Master Dunbar made it possible to prepare the necessary documents to be presented in the AETF Congress 2020, where the decision should be taken about to give rights to the Spanish Taekwon-do Federation to host the European Championships in 2021.
In the afternoon Master Coos van den Heuvel, accompanied by Master Tadeusz Loboda, the former AETF President and current ITF Secretary General and Mr. Jerzy Andrzej Kozłowski, the Taekwon-Do Pioneer in Poland, took part in the meeting promoting the premiere of the book: “ Olympic Competitors of Lublin District”. In the meeting in Sports History Center in Lublin participated the highest authorities of Lublin, sport authorities and other coaches from different sports among them past Olympic Athletes. Also the representatives of media were present. At the meeting Master Tadeusz Loboda was awarded with the Medal of 450 years of the Union of Lublin anniversary. Master Coos van den Heuvel was introduced to Mr. Krzysztof Żuk, the Mayor of the City of Lublin, Mrs. Beata Stepaniuk-Kuśmierzak, the Deputy Meyor, the Members of the Lublin City Council and many others.
On Tuesday the meeting was continued at the AETF HQ. Together with Master Jerzy Jedut, AETF Secretary General many important issues as well as the topics of the future of AETF and the Election were discussed. It was a long day of hard work. And three days of stay passed very quickly.
On Wednesday, 4th December Master Coos van den Heuvel visit the AETF HQ for a short time and on the Afternoon left by plane from Lublin Airport back to the Netherlands.
The next working meeting will take place in January 2020 in Warsaw by the occasion of the AETF Annual Meeting.