Shaaban’s re-election was confirmed after no other African candidate contested the men’s seat while two female candidates competed for the women’s seat.
The World Taekwondo elections will be held during the federation’s General Assembly on 23 October in Wuxi, China. Positions to be elected include the president of World Taekwondo (with current President Chungwon Choue running unopposed), three vice presidents, 14 executive board members, and an auditor.
The list of candidates also features several Arab representatives: Morocco’s Idriss Al-Hilali is contesting the vice presidency, while from Asia, the UAE’s Ahmed Hamdan Al Zeyoudi, Jordan’s Nadine Dawani, and Saudi Arabia’s Hadoa Muaweid are standing for executive board seats.
Shaaban’s uncontested victory reflects the international and African trust he commands following his highly successful first term on the executive board where he represented Africa with distinction. His tenure also brought considerable benefits to the continent, alongside his influential role as chairman of the Competitions Committee at World Taekwondo.
Shaaban began his international administrative career in 2015, quickly proving his organisational and leadership capabilities. On 4 September 2017 he became the first Arab and first African ever appointed as chairman of the Competitions Committee at World Taekwondo, a position to which he has since been reappointed for four consecutive terms.
He has played a central role in the sport at the Olympic Games, serving as head of taekwondo at the Paris 2024 Olympics where the sport delivered its best-ever presentation. He was also ompetition Committee chairman at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and contributed to the Rio 2016 Games as deputy chairman of the World Taekwondo Technical Committee.
During Shaaban’s work with World Taekwondo, the sport has undergone major development at all levels — becoming more dynamic, exciting, and accessible — contributing to a wider audience and a growing global fan base.
Speaking after his re-election, Shaaban expressed his pride and outlined his vision for the future. “It is a tremendous honour to be entrusted once again with the responsibility of representing Africa and Egypt on the executive board of World Taekwondo,” Shaaban said. “This is not a personal achievement alone, but one that belongs to the Egyptian sporting family and the entire African continent.
“Over the past years, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that Africa’s voice is heard and that our athletes are given every opportunity to shine on the world stage. Looking ahead, my goal is to continue this mission — to push for greater inclusivity, innovation and development within our sport, and to make taekwondo not only a discipline of athletic excellence but also a vehicle of cultural exchange, respect and peace.”
“I dedicate this milestone to Egypt, to Africa, and to every young athlete who dreams of one day standing on the Olympic podium. Their future is what motivates me every single day.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 11 September, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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