SIBU (March 20): Sarawak Taekwondo Association vice president Dato Sri Lau Kueng Chai was the first Malaysian invited to attend the taekwondo Asian Qualifying Tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics in Tai’an, China last weekend.

Lau is also the first Malaysian to sit in the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU) board, where he has been an advisory committee member since 2022.

“I feel a deep sense of honour to be able to represent Malaysia to attend such a high-level event and this is something I feel all Malaysians should be proud of,” he said when contacted.

The businessman and sports enthusiast has strongly advocated for the development of taekwondo since his involvement in the sport more than 25 years ago.

“It’s not always easy to help develop any sport but with total commitment and desire and with a strong supporting team, we should be able to overcome all obstacles to achieve what we aim for,” he said.

The 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics Games Taekwondo Asian Qualifying Tournament is an International Category A event hosted by the Word Taekwondo Federation.

It was the last competition for taekwondo athletes from various Asian countries to compete for Olympic tickets.