The 68-year-old Ng Ser Miang, who is a member of International Olympic Committee (IOC) and who worked for the inaugural of 2010 Youth Olympic Games, has now been appointed as the honorary chairman of Kukkiwon aka World Taekwondo Headquarters (WTH).
According to reports, Miang said that it is his honour to become a vital part of Kukkiwon and he believes that taekwondo is more than just a martial art and a sport.
He also mentioned that since 2000, this sport has been recognized as an Olympic sport but there is a lot of scope for development.
Miang said that since he has now taken a huge responsibility, he will try to use international appointments to support the sport in Singapore.
Kukkiwon or WTH also regulates Korea's taekwondo governing body, which is in charge of various aspects such as training, grading, including research and innovation.
Among all Singaporean taekwondo veterans, Miang is one of the most respected and experienced sports personalities. From 1991 to 2002, he was the chairman of national sports agency called Sport Singapore, commonly known as Singapore Sports Council.
Along with taekwondo, he opted for sailing and was a former Singapore sailor who won a silver medal at the 1969 South-east Asia Peninsular Games, now known as SEA Games.
According to the taekwondo veteran Miang, his friendship with Kukkiwon's late founder Kim Un Yong actually triggered his interest in this sport. While taking about Yong, who established the foundation in 1972, Miang said that he knew the former IOC vice-president since 1991. He also expressed that because of Yong, he learnt about taekwondo and helped to support national Sports Association.
While commenting on Miang's new engagement with Kukkiwon, Milan Kwee, the president of Singapore Taekwondo Federation said that he is delighted and honoured to see a Singaporean to chair a high position in WTH.
Kwee, who has been re-elected in 2017 for another term as a member of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), said that Miang is a humble person and is liked by many sports personalities.
