He is a potential candidate for a medal in the next Pan-American Games 2011 (Mexico). The Antillean Federation approached NAOC for financial support, in order to have Audy together with his coach Richard Hanson represent the Netherlands Antilles.

Seeing the fact that Taekwondo is an Olympic Sport, it was possible for NAOC to cover the expenses regarding to the air flight. Audy participates in the Fin (-54kg) weight on Saturday and starts against Sweden

Picture: Audy Muller, NAOC  President Millerson & Coach Richard Hanson

“There are millions of young golfers worldwide who would be proud to represent their country,” Woods said from the Presidents Cup in San Francisco. “It would be an honor for anyone who plays this game to become an Olympian.”

Golf was approved 63-27 with two abstentions. Rugby was voted in 81-8 with one abstention.

Golf will stage a 72-hole stroke-play tournament for men and women, with 60 players in each field. Padraig Harrington and Michelle Wie addressed the IOC in person before the vote. Wie talked about starting to play golf when she was 4 but never being able to dream of an Olympic medal until now.

“I can dream about doing something that neither Tiger nor Ernie (Els) have ever done, and that is to make the final putt to win an Olympic gold medal,” Wie said. “If this dream comes true, somewhere in the world there will be another 4-year-old who sees me on that podium and perhaps starts her own Olympic dream.”

Golf gave a commitment to the IOC that it would not stage any major championships on the Olympic dates. They are the first new sports added since triathlon and taekwondo joined the program for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The vote was a reversal of the IOC’s decision four years ago to reject golf and rugby for the 2012 Olympics, and brings the number of summer Olympic sports back to 28. There have been two openings on the program since baseball and softball were dropped in 2005 for the 2012 London Games.

Their status for the 2020 Olympics will be reviewed by the IOC in 2017.

The selection process angered some IOC members, who wanted all seven sports put to a vote by the entire assembly. Senior Canadian member Dick Pound complained before the vote that the members were never told why the two sports were selected over the other five. “It is not fair to the other five sports,” Pound said. “Because you decided the way you did, it is not a transparent process.”

The new selection system was put in place after the IOC failed to agree on which two sports should be added to the 2012 program, leaving the London Games with 26 sports instead of the usual 28.

Five of the participating boys are from Curacao and one from St. Maarten. The 3 girls that are already selected are from Curacao. According to Coach Cedric Meulens, preparations for the selections were started at an early date, but at the last moments the other countries decided that they wanted six girls to compete, instead of the 3 that had been decided upon.

Meulens is now investigating if the different taekwondo schools in the Antilles can provide in 3 female fighters to join the selection. But he is very happy with the selection as it is. The youngsters had already prepared themselves to participate in the Panam Games when they heard that Taekwondo was going to be one of 7 sports that the partners in the kingdom will be competing in.

The group is now training about 12 hours per week. Technical and tactical issues, resistance, speed and psychological strength are important. But the group is also trained in dietary habits, behavior and spiritual strength.

In the weeks before the Kingdom games, the Taekwondo selection participates in tournaments in Surinam, Trinidad, Aruba and Cuba. This for the benefit of the youngsters who need all the international experience that they can get.

The Taekwondo selection is going for gold in Aruba: ‘We would not
be making all these efforts, without coming home with all the gold
medals’.