Eight taekwondo players from the Academy participated in Kigali ©THF

Eight taekwondo players from the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation's (THF) Kiziba Academy competed at the recent National Championships in Rwanda, which has been highlighted as one of the successes of the facilities this year.

The athletes returned to the Academy from the Championships, held in Kigali earlier this month, with two bronze medals.

They were also given the chance to gain valuable experience of life outside of the Kiziba Refugee Camp.

The players participating at the event in the Rwandan capital came after a belt-passing test was held at the Academy, opened in April and which celebrated its six-month anniversary in October.

A total of 49 academy students aged six to 21 took part and were able to progress to yellow and blue belt level following the tests.

Jean Paul Niyonsenga, a 13-year-old who was born into the refugee camp, is among those to have benefitted from the coaching at the THF facility.

Plans are in place to spread the THF's work to the Mahama Refugee Camp, also located in Rwanda, following the success at Kiziba ©THF
Plans are in place to spread the THF's work to the Mahama Refugee Camp, also located in Rwanda, following the success at Kiziba ©THF

Niyonsenga, who joined the Academy in March, has targeted competing at international level one day.

Plans are in place to spread the THF's work to the Mahama Refugee Camp, also located in Rwanda, following the success at Kiziba.

Most of the refugees at Kiziba are from the Democratic Republic of Congo and were forced to flee their country due to war and instability. 

THF projects are also up and running in Jordan, Turkey, Djibouti and Nepal.

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue officially announced his plan to establish the THF in his speech at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, on the 2015 International Day of Peace.  

The aim of the THF is to teach the sport and stage educational programmes with refugees and displaced people around the world.