The 2025 British Taekwondo National Poomsae Championships were not only a showcase of athlete talent, they were also a celebration of officiating excellence.
This year’s event brought together a truly international team of 50 referees, including 30 international officials from 12 different countries, who ensured every division was judged with fairness, precision, and professionalism.
Their contribution was vital in helping deliver one of the smoothest and most efficiently run National Championships to date.
British Taekwondo was honoured to welcome referees from around the world, reflecting the international spirit and reputation of our National Championships.
International Referees represented 12 nations:
Afghanistan: Nawab Feisal Mirbeig, Abdul Halim Yousufzai
Canada: Jocelyne Carrière
Denmark: Jesper Pedersen, Masoumeh Majidivash, Anette Olsson
Spain: Pablo Garcia Vazquez, Maria Bautista Maestre
France: Nguyen Ngoc-Long
Bangladesh: Kamrul Bari, Abdullah Safi
Sweden: Laban Frederiksen, Abtin Khoshnood, Shahd Kiani
Iran: Badri Asadi
Romania: Florin Coldea
Croatia: Viktor Romancuk
Austria: Alexander Hübl, Peter Nestler
United Kingdom: GM T. W. Shin, GM David Bailey, Damian Duffy, Peter Stewart, Ali Pourtaheri, Bilal Naqshbandi, Carolina B. Clark, Gerry Reilly, Jim Montgomery, Gillian Waite, Xin Li
UK National Referees
Supporting their international colleagues were 19 UK national referees, whose professionalism and dedication helped ensure every ring ran seamlessly throughout the weekend.
Class 1: Hyeong-Seon Turner, Barbara Dackiw, Ramzia Hamidi, Maryam Husseini, Aaron Leigh, GM William Crouch, Adrian Williams, Eunmi Pearson, Karen Sivyer, Chris Pearson
Class 2: Michael Beecham, Chris Wood, Jenny Furness
Class 3: David Flanders, Ricky Chow, Amy Stewart, Abolfazl Shahveh, Leslie Ng, Raye Ng, Sreejith Ramachandrakurup
The Importance of Referees in Poomsae
Referees play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and consistency of competition. In a discipline where precision, rhythm, and technique are scored in fine margins, their experience and concentration underpin every fair result.
Across two packed days of competition, referees oversaw hundreds of performances with remarkable accuracy, impartiality, and attention to detail. Their calm professionalism ensured that athletes could focus fully on their performances, confident that their efforts were being evaluated by some of the most respected officials in the sport.
With over 500 athletes competing across dozens of divisions, the logistical demands of the Championships were immense. Thanks to a well-planned running order and the Martial Events scoring system, both days ran smoothly and on time, a testament to the coordinated efforts behind the scenes.
The event’s success was the result of seamless teamwork between:
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Technical Delegate: GM Glen Culbert
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Chief Referee: Master Kambiz R. Ali
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Head of the Organising Committee: Matt Marshall
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Alongside British Taekwondo staff, club representatives, and an outstanding team of volunteers.
Together, they delivered a Championship that reflected the professionalism, inclusivity, and international standard that British Taekwondo strives to uphold.
The contribution of referees is fundamental to the success of every event. Their commitment, long hours, and attention to fairness ensure that every athlete, from novice to national champion, can compete in a positive and respectful environment.
British Taekwondo extends its heartfelt thanks to all referees, judges, and support staff who gave their time and expertise to make the 2025 National Poomsae Championships a success.
Your dedication continues to uphold the values of our sport: integrity, respect, perseverance, and excellence.
Thank you to our international and national referees for your service, professionalism, and spirit.
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