There is a Taekwon-do event in Romania every summer. This year it is the 8th time that the Summer Cup is being organized. The head organizer for the last few years has been the club King-Do in Oradea city, lead by Mr Romeo Tulkos. He has just been elected vice-president of the Romanian Taekwon-do Federation this year (you may have already read that there has been many changes in the Romanian Federation). We have asked him about the event in a short interview.

AETF reporter
Norbert Érseki

Email to NE

• Norbert Érseki, AETF Reporter: Where did the idea of the Summer Cup come to you?
  Romeo Tulkos: in 2006 there was a small national event in Baia Mare. We had 70 competitors alltogether. I have been asked to continue the event but I had one condition: as I have many friends from Hungary, I really wanted to invite them. By that time the president of the federation was Oltean, he suggested that I should prepare an international open cup instead. Years went by and from the starting number of 70 competitors we have grown into an event with around 250 participants. I have great help from Mircea Muntean who was the Secretary General and Championship Director, now the Head of Umpires. I would like to thank him personally the help and guidance he gave me.

Mr Romeo Tulkos

• NE: It is the 8th time that organise the event. Do you remember the first time you did it?
  RT: Yes, I clearly remember as if it was only yesterday. We have had 140 competitors in a small sports hall without any tribune. Those years have passed. Now we had 250 participants, a bigger sport hall and a lot of experience! We are expecting at least 300 registered sportsmen for this year’s event from at least seven countries.

• NE: As we have heard you have some special guest invited for the event. Who exactly are you expecting?
  RT: Yes, we have invited some honoured guests this year: Master Frank Vanberghen (8. degree), Annick Van Driessche (6. degree, president of the ITF Belgium), Marius Oltean (6. degree, the former president of the Romanian ITF Taekwon-do Federation), and Vladimir Machota (6. degree, Czech ITF Federation).

• NE: Do you have a further goal with organizing the event?
  RT: Yes, we do. We would like to get more and more experience in organizing such events and we would like to host a European or World Cup in the near future.

• NE: Which countries have expressed their interests in the event so far?
  RT: We have some good relations and feedback from the following countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Croatia and of course Romania.

• NE: As you have been elected vice-president of your country’s federation do you feel any difference in organizing this event? Did it get much easier/harder for you?
  RT: It is not a secret that I have become the vice-president. I think with work of many years I have earned the right to be elected. I have also become the Director of Competitors as well. However I always separate my job as an organizer and as a vice-president. In the preparations of the event the title of being a vice-president does not help at all. Whenever I organize an event I always and only think about to be a good host and that the guests would feel our hospitality and respect!

• NE: Thank you for the interview, see you there!
  

About the event

The event will take place in the lovely small city of Oradea, Romania. The city is relatively close to the Hungarian border, it has around 200,000 inhabitants. The Crişul Repede river cuts the city in 2 halves (the official accommodation is right next to the river).

The details:

VIII. Romanian Open Summer Cup 5-8. June, 2014, Oradea, Romania

Deadline of registration:

25. May, 2014

Event venue:

Arena Antonio Alexe, Oradea (See on google maps)

Official Facebook Event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/528660530585862

Official Invitation:

Invitation Open Summer Cup 2014 (MS Word, 3 MB)