when global sport is no longer just sport

Claudio Antonio Aranda
CEO y Fundador de MASTKD
Preparador Físico y Metodólogo de Alto Rendimiento
6º Dan Taekwondo WT
[email protected]

In a world plagued by political tensions, disputes of legitimacy, restrictions on rights, information wars, and institutional reorganizations, Olympic Taekwondo does not function as a bubble: it functions as a system. That is why MASTKD chose to look beyond the scoreboard and, with journalistic rigor, map out the real landscape where decisions are made about who competes, who leads, and who can even train.

For years, much of the specialized journalism treated Taekwondo as a convenient snippet: results, photos, podiums, rankings. That content matters. But it is no longer enough. Because Taekwondo, as we know it, is supported by structures that are not strictly sporting: legal frameworks, diplomatic relations, public funding, integrity systems, inclusion policies, and decisions that are often made far from the dojang and much closer to an office.

MASTKD does not “become politicized” by aesthetic choice. MASTKD becomes professionalized out of necessity. When the international board moves, the rules of the game move: recognitions, sanctions, licenses, visas, selections, calendars, access, silences. And when that movement affects athletes, coaches, and federations, it is no longer an “externally” issue but becomes the core of Taekwondo’s present.

In recent weeks, the examples have been clear: situations where the practice of Taekwondo was conditioned by state decisions, institutional conflicts, social restrictions, or disputes over authority. There is no need to list them to understand the pattern. What is important is the trend: global Taekwondo is increasingly exposed to forces that cannot be resolved with a better-executed kick.

Therefore, the right question for an international media outlet is not just “what happened,” but:

• who decides and with what tools,
• what interests clash or align,
• who remains inside the system and who remains outside,
• what precedents are set,
• and what risks are opened up for the future of Olympic Taekwondo.

This is not sensationalism. It is editorial responsibility.

Covering the geopolitics of Taekwondo does not mean abandoning the sport. It means defending it: protecting its credibility, its accessibility, its integrity, and its universal promise. It means understanding that athletes do not compete only against their opponents; they compete within a context. And when that context becomes unfair, unclear, or manipulated, journalism must shine a light on it.

MASTKD exists for that purpose: to narrate Taekwondo with international standards, with context, with precision, and with the courage to address what others prefer to avoid. Because if Taekwondo is global, so is its reality. And today, that reality is called geopolitics.

MAS: Media About Sport.
TKD: Taekwondo.
MASTKD: Worldwide Leader on Taekwondo Information.

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