TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has sponsored judo training for Ukrainian children taking refuge in Austria in support of the war-ravaged country.
Multikraft Wels, a judo promotion association in Wels, a city in Upper Austria, is providing free instructions for Ukrainian youngsters sheltered in Austria. The association is known for nurturing judokas, among whom is Shamil Borchashvili, a Chechnyan refugee who won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021 in Tokyo.
Learning about the program and how Multikraft Wels has been dedicated to helping refugees, the Taiwanese representative to Austria, Katherine Chang (張小月), decided that Taiwan would provide resources that allow the displaced children to learn judo.
About a dozen youngsters who have benefited from the program were thrilled about the offer and expressed gratitude to Taiwan during a training session. Willi Reizelsdorfer, the owner of Multikraft Wels and a gold medalist, thanked Taiwan for giving a helping hand to the needy, a spirit celebrated by the association.
Chang noted that Taiwan made history at the Tokyo Olympics with a record 12 medals, including one silver in judo. Taiwan’s assistance to Ukraine embodies that judo in Taiwan transcends sports or martial arts and also serves as a pursuit of a higher morality, she added.
