Rome pairs youth taekwondo festival with elite Grand Prix

About 2,000 children ages 6 to 11 from across Europe are competing this weekend at Rome's Foro Italico complex in the Kim and Liù youth taekwondo tournament, held 30 meters from the simultaneous Rome 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix, The Korea Times reported.

The dual-event structure bridges grassroots participation and elite competition at a single historic venue — and with demonstrated results: Olympic medalist Vito Dell'Aquila and world champion Simone Alessio both took their first competitive steps at earlier editions of the Kim and Liù tournament.

The Kim and Liù festival features technical form competitions, age-bracketed sparring and foundational educational activities. Organizers are running the event under the theme "Taekwondo to the Future!" the Korea Times reported.

The tournament takes its name from fictional characters at the center of an educational comic book created by the Italian Taekwondo Federation nearly two decades ago. The storyline was designed to introduce children to the sport's values and techniques.

The festival's alumni record underpins its reputation as a national talent pipeline. Dell'Aquila and Alessio — two of Italy's most decorated taekwondo athletes — both competed at earlier Kim and Liù events before rising to Olympic and world-level competition, according to The Korea Times.

For the 2026 edition, organizers expanded youth Para Taekwondo categories and waived all registration fees for those divisions, a move aimed at lowering barriers for future competitors.

The Rome 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix draws Olympic- and Paralympic-caliber athletes to the same Foro Italico grounds, positioned within 30 meters of the youth festival. The proximity, The Korea Times reported, gives young competitors a direct view of elite-level technique during their own competition weekend.

The Foro Italico events mark a concentrated effort to expand taekwondo across age groups and abilities, with Italy positioning its dual-tournament model as both a talent incubator and a showcase for the sport's broadening reach.