A great figure in Haitian sport, particularly taekwondo, is leaving. Leo Cartright has died at the age of 71 after suffering from an illness for a long time.
Leo Cartright is considered the founder of taekwondo in Haiti. He had set up the Haitian Taekwondo Association in the early 1980s and played a major role in the expansion of this sport across the country.
His efforts have enabled Haiti to become a taekwondo powerhouse in the region. Several Haitian athletes have won medals in international competitions during the reign of Leo Cartright. Haiti was even represented at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece by Sanon Tudor.
Martial arts have been an integral part of the life of the ingenious Leo Cartright. A culture he installed in his three children, all practitioners.
Leo Cartright was, for more than 20 years, an influential member of the executive committee of the Haitian Olympic Committee. Outside of sport, he worked in education, teaching modern languages and mathematics.
The Haitian Taekwondo Federation said it was saddened by the news of the death of Master Leo Cartright (former President and Honorary President of the FHTKD), whom it presents as a wise man, upright and very good collaborator.
Zoom Haiti News sends its sympathies to the relatives of Leo Cartright.