As he seeks another term as President of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation, Frederick Lartey Otu led to a series of landmark achievements that have elevated not only Ghanaian Taekwondo but also the sport across the African continent.
Reflecting on his tenure, Mr. Otu highlighted his instrumental role in introducing Poomsae, the artistic discipline of Taekwondo that involves a structured sequence of offensive and defensive techniques performed against imaginary opponents into the African Games for the first time in history.
The inclusion of Poomsae was the result of sustained lobbying and strategic engagement with African Taekwondo leadership and the Local Organising Committee during the African Games hosted in Ghana.
This was a historic achievement because Poomsae had never been part of the African Games. Through persistent advocacy, we secured its inclusion, and it has now become a permanent feature of the Games, to be contested every four years,” he stated.
Mr. Otu also revealed that he successfully championed the introduction of the Team Championship event into the African Games Taekwondo programme, another first in the competition’s history.
Beyond expanding the competition format, he described the process as one that demanded resilience and high-level negotiations, noting that there were moments when Taekwondo itself risked being excluded from the Games due to disagreements during the planning stages.
My focus was to ensure that African Taekwondo left a lasting legacy. We pushed for reforms that would benefit the sport long after the Games, and today those efforts have become a reality,” he said.
These achievements demonstrate his commitment to developing Taekwondo beyond Ghana’s borders and strengthening the sport’s presence across Africa.
Beyond his achievements in Taekwondo, Frederick Lartey Otu has played a pivotal role in advancing the Olympic Movement in Ghana. He currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), having previously held the position of Treasurer. He also chairs the GOC Games and Technical Sub-Committee, where he contributes to shaping policies and strategies for sports development in the country.
On the technical front, Otu remains one of Ghana’s most distinguished Taekwondo officials and practitioners. He has served as a World Taekwondo International Referee since 1999 and currently holds the role of World Taekwondo Technical Delegate.
In recognition of his decades of service, expertise, and commitment to the sport, he was awarded the prestigious Kukkiwon 7th Dan Black Belt in 2024.