#100: 6 Months Of ITL’s Humanitarian Foundation Team In Malta - And Here’s What’s Going On!
One of ITL’s most coveted projects this year was the launch of its Junior Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) team.
The senior initiative began a little over one year ago with senior athletes Mamadou Balde and Ashik Sunil Bindhu joining the team. They were sponsored thanks to the initiative, eventually traveling abroad to compete and even medal.
With the help of World Taekwondo (WT) and the THF, the club was able to recruit four promising juniors. The four, all hailing from Ukraine are schoolmates in the same secondary school in Malta.
All four juniors, together with THF senior athlete Ashik, have now been training and representing the ITL for 6 months.
Their training began in January, with the team recording many events in the first quarter of the year (read here to find out more).
What went down in the second quarter of 2025?
The ITL sourced protective gear for the THF athletes, which they would use to begin their sparring training together with the ITL players and coaches.
Ranked Competitions
From left to right: Czarek Odlanicki, Fergeson Galea, Ashik Sunil (THF) and Gianluca Barbara (THF coach).
As their training went on, senior THF athlete - Ashik Bindhu - prepared, and eventually took part in the Greece Open G1, where he faced Israeli serial medalist Nirmod Krivishkiy. It was a tough draw for the athlete, who lost with a round score of 0:2, but nevertheless found a trove of experience by way of the endeavor.
He would continue his preparation for the Solidarity Games (G1), held in Montargis (France) in July, but was unable to travel due to French air traffic control strikes. With this competition removed from the agenda, Ashik will now take part in the Warsaw Open (G1), come September.
THF Showcases It’s Skills At The Olympic Day Festivities
Poomsae showcase at the MOC Olympic Day (15th June).
The Maltese Olympic committee celebrated Olympic day on the 15th of June; an event celebrated at the university campus.
To commemorate the occasion, the MTA fielded a contingent of over 50 athletes from two local clubs: Iron Taekwondo League and Strive Taekwondo Club.
Among the athletes was Anhelina Hladenova, who took part in a poomsae showcase together with coach Jovo Mirkovic (ITL).
First Medal For ITL’s THF Athlete Anhelina Hladenova
Anhelina bagged a silver medal in her first international online poomsae championship.
Meanwhile, THF junior Anhelina Hladenova bagged her first medal - a silver - at the 6th Range Online International Open Poomsae & Para Championships.
In doing so, Anhelina Hladenova became the first ITL Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) athlete to find the podium since the foundation of the THF initiative, last January.
Upcoming Training Camp With All Local Clubs
Iron Taekwondo League, together with Birzebbuga Taekwondo Club and newly-formed Strive Taekwondo will now take part in a sparring training camp to be held from the 11th - 13th July 2025, during which time, all THF athletes will take part and showcase their skills with other athletes living and training in Malta.
The camp will be run by Strive coach Mauro Busuttil and will feature ITL coach Gianluca Barbara.
Strive’s Sparring Training Camp will take place on the 11-13 July 2025.
Future PLans
It has been an eventful second quarter of the year for the THF players, who now train hand-in-hand with ITL. So much so, that we are constantly on the lookout for more players to join this ever-growing team.
Now, ITL will further develop the athletes through:
International competition (to be confirmed).
Local training camp with renowned world medalist Hadi Mostaan.
Local competition (Rising Stars Open).
