The Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation is encouraged by new recruits ©THF

The Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) has said they are encouraged by the number of youngsters hoping to join the organisation's set-up at the Azraq Refugee Camp.

An Academy teaching the martial art has been established at the camp in Jordan.

Residents living there have fled the conflict in neighbouring Syria and children have been using taekwondo as a way to help rebuild their lives.

"The children at Azraq are ready to begin their taekwondo journey with an enormous amount of enthusiasm," a THF statement said.

"The amount of new participants wishing to join indicates a huge sign of hope for the future."

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue officially announced his plan to establish the THF in his speech at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, on the 2015 International Day of Peace.  

People living in Azraq have fled the conflict in Syria ©THF
People living in Azraq have fled the conflict in Syria ©THF

It aims to teach the sport and stage educational programmes with refugees and displaced people around the world.

As well as Jordan, THF projects are up and running in countries including Turkey, Rwanda, Djibouti, Burundi and Nepal.

A THF petition which will be presented to the United Nations (UN) has now passed the 2,000 signature mark.

It aims to "demonstrate global support to the use of sport as an empowering tool for refugees worldwide, and to further convince global decision makers to take concrete action in that sense".

Choue aims to hand the petition to the UN at the Global Compact on Refugees event.