Though taekwondo has ancient roots, it was formed as a separate martial art relatively recently. In Kazakhstan this kind of single combat officially appearedeven later, in 1991. In that period in young country, which was starting its own independent path, Taekwondo Federation (WT) was founded. Two great people who were famous far beyond Kazakhstan: Mustafa Ozturk and Bekseit Tulkiev, originated it.
It can be said a lot about Mustafa Ozturk. He was born in Turkey, in Istanbul in 1954 in the family of Kazakh immigrants. In 1975 he entered the International University of Politics in Taipei city, and graduated it in Taiwan city in 1980 with the qualification of journalist-expert in international affairs.
But his main merits are associated with taekwondo. Mustafa Ozturk won six world championships in this single combat, got Black belt of the seventh dan rank – the highest level of admission of his achievements. Thanks to the skills of effective fight in Turkey Mustafa was frequently offered to be filmed in movies about martial arts. He played in more than 60 movies.
Having such sport mastery, heshared it with others with pleasure. When Mustafa Ozturk moved to Germany to work, he opened the Taekwondo School named after Mustafa in Munich. There is one more same school in Istanbul. Sportsmen from these schools show themselves great during international competitions.
In 1990 the actor, sportsman and teacher came back to his historical motherland in Kazakhstan. A year later he founded the Taekwondo Federation in Kazakhstan (WT) and popularized this kind of single combat by all means in the country. In 1992 Mustafa became acitizen of Kazakhstan andin 1993 he compelled inclusion of Kazakhstan Federation into the World Taekwondo Federation (WT). Unfortunately, in 1995 he suddenly died.
The first President of the Federation since the beginning of its foundation was an other distinguished son of the Kazakhnation – Bekseit Tulkiev. He started to practice taekwondo when this martial art was forbidden in the USSR. He was friends with Mustafa Ozturk and managed to steer the initial impulse regarding creation of the Federation in the right direction. In 1995 in the 7th Championship of the World among military people Kazakhstan taekwondoists took the second team place after the Republic of Korea by winning one silver and two bronze medals.
Bekseit Tulkiev also left this world early, tragically died in 1998. The holder of the Black Belt of the seventh dan rank in taekwondo Shamsat Zhaksylykovich Isabekov took over the relay. He is also a member of the National Olympic Committee. Thanks to his efforts, as well as cooperation of training staff, in 2008 in Beijing Olympiad the Federation received its first prize of the main event of the sport world – a bronze medal, which was conquered by Arman Chilmanov.
In Federation’s plans there are new victories in various tournaments and competitions. Nowadays, in Kazakhstan more than 20 thousand people are involved in taekwondo and this number is increasing. It means that chances of new victories are increasing too.
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