By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association (SLTA) is in China, with two athletes representing the nation at the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships which will take place from 24 -30 October.
People’s Republic of China, is hosting the 2025 Wuxi World Taekwondo Championships at the Wuxi Taihu International Expo Center, featuring elite competition. There are two finals every day – men and women – with medals awarded across 14 categories. The men’s +87kg opens the event on Friday, October 24, and it will close with the women’s -53kg on 30 October.
Speaking from China via phone, SLTA’s Oness Abayomi Johnson, on Tuesday, October 21st, 2025, confirmed to this press that two athletes, George Edward Holland and Maxwell James Manson will be representing Sierra Leone in 68kg and 58kg categories respectively.
“Both Holland and Mason are well prepared and determine to make Sierra Leone proud. We are here not only to participate, but to compete and bring laurels back home,” he stated.
He highlighted that World Taekwondo and local organisers hosted a major press conference on Tuesday just three days before the start of the upcoming World Championships in China, marking the first time the Asian power has hosted the event since 2007 in Beijing.
The press conference, held at the World Hotel Grand Juna, drew an interest from Chinese media and featured distinguished speakers, including World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue, Secretary General Jeongkang Seo, and Technical Delegate Philippe Bouedo. They were joined by Zhong Chen, vice president of the Chinese Taekwondo Association, and Yi Chen, director of the Wuxi Municipal Sports Bureau. Local athletes, including Asian Championships bronze medallist Zhaoxun Cai and Grand Slam Challenge silver medallist Chuling Zhang, were also in attendance.
Beyond the competition mat, the event promises a cultural celebration of the sport. Fans can expect spectacular performances by the World Taekwondo Demonstration Team and poomsae medallists, as well as hands-on engagement in a Virtual Taekwondo Experience Zone.
“The competitive action will be immediately preceded by the World Taekwondo General Assembly on Thursday. The gathering is scheduled to elect the organisation’s leadership for the 2025–2029 term, setting the strategic direction for the sport’s future,” Johnson revealed.
The sheer scale of the event will make it the largest edition in history. The Chinese Taekwondo Association’s Vice President, Chen, affirmed the organisers’ commitment to matching this ambition, promising to provide the best possible venues and support for athletes to ensure a truly successful event. The local athletes, Cai and Zhang, repeated this sentiment, expressing their determination to compete with fair play and uphold the values of friendship alongside their peers from around the world.