Australia delivered an impressive campaign at the 2026 Kukkiwon World Hanmadang Championships, winning two gold, two silver and two bronze medals against a field of more than 4,000 competitors from 61 countries.
Deanna Kyriazopoulos is the youngest Director and Board Member elected to the Australian Taekwondo board, she was recently awarded the prestigious Australian Institute of Company Directors, Non For Profit scholarship.
This program is designed to train and equip the next generation of leaders across the non-for-profit sector and ensure that they have the management expertise to guide their organisations in a more effective and equitable future.
As a former national level fighter representing the country at the world championships, Kyriazopoulos has long been a committed practitioner of Taekwondo in Australia and she says her new found knowledge will help her bring that extra kick to growing the sport across the country.
“This scholarship with the AICD has presented an opportunity for me to develop myself professionally and personally in my role as a director and in my career.,” she told Australian Taekwondo.
“As a director you act in the best interest of your organisation and this scholarship was a conscious and proactive decision to upskill, improve and educate myself in order to make the best decisions.”
Kyriazopoulos says she wants to be able to give value to the organisation and believes the networking opportunities alongside a strong understanding of governance, compliance, risk, strategy and financials will help her do just that.
“It empowers you to ask questions, have a curious mind, be heard and make suggestions to improve things for the future.”
Throughout the two days of training, she undertook a number of modules that she says was made all the more engaging by top class NFP directors that helped guide her through the course material.
“There is inspiration in making an impact and making a difference,” she said.
“I hope that through this scholarship and my contribution to AT I will also empower other younger professionals to apply for board positions or make conscious decisions to upskill.”
If you're on a Board or seeking to upskill in sports governance and industy best practise, visit the Australian Sports Commission's website to access free Sport Governance and Organisational Enhancement training and education.
Australia delivered an impressive campaign at the 2026 Kukkiwon World Hanmadang Championships, winning two gold, two silver and two bronze medals against a field of more than 4,000 competitors from 61 countries.
Australian Taekwondo's National Poomsae Team delivered a standout campaign across three international events on the Gold Coast — the 2026 Australian Open G2, Oceania President's Cup G3 and Oceania Championships G4 — collecting a haul of gold and two Overall Team Trophy runner-up finishes. A record 14 Para Poomsae athletes also set new participation and medal benchmarks. With momentum building and depth emerging across the pathway, attention now turns to September's World Poomsae Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea.
As we reach the midpoint of 2026, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been one of the most rewarding and significant quarters in recent memory […]
