Italy has been named as the winner of this year's Taekwondo Day Award ©World Taekwondo

Italy has been named as the winner of this year's Taekwondo Day Award after a year which included an Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020.

The prize is presented by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) to coincide with Taekwondo Day on September 4.

Chungwon Choue, the President of World Taekwondo, recommended that Italy be chosen because of the country's "multiple achievements and contributions to taekwondo".

He presented the award virtually to Italian Taekwondo Federation President Angelo Cito.

"This award is recognition of the truly excellent work the Italian federation has done in raising champion athletes, hosting world class competitions and promoting taekwondo, including the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) on the world stage," Choue said. 

"Thanks go to all at the federation - especially its leader, Angelo Cito."

Cito, a member of the World Taekwondo Council, said he was "honoured" to receive the prize.

Vito Dell'Aquila won Olympic gold for Italy at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images
Vito Dell'Aquila won Olympic gold for Italy at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

Taekwondo Day is marked on September 4 every year as that was the date when the International Olympic Committee added the sport to the Games programme in 1994.

Vito Dell'Aquila won the men's under-58 kilograms title for Italy at Tokyo 2020, while the country also regularly medals at the World and European Championships and Grand Prix events.

Since 2018, Italy has hosted the only permanent leg of the Grand Prix series in Rome, while the World Taekwondo demonstration team has performed in front of the Pope in Vatican City.

In May, the THF - which teaches the sport to refugees around the world - agreed to a partnership with the Fondazione Umanitaria Italiana Taekwondo to mutually promote humanitarian activities.