Great connecting with you as always — and as I mentioned on WhatsApp, I am thrilled to share that we have officially confirmed our participation in the VTKD Roma Open this June. It will be wonderful to see you again in Rome, and I wanted to take a moment to reach out more formally given everything that has developed on our end since Singapore.
Since our time together at the VTKD pilot project in Singapore, a great deal has transpired. We have formally incorporated Virtual Sports Canada (VSC) as a federally registered, not-for-profit national governing body dedicated to phygital and virtual sports in Canada. We have secured the backing of investors, angel supporters, and sponsors who share our conviction in the future of this space.
VSC is Canada's governing body for virtual and phygital sport — built to federate, develop, and represent Canadian athletes on the international stage, with Virtual Taekwondo as our flagship discipline.
One of our most significant milestones is our involvement in a multi-sport performance complex currently in development in Toronto. This is a three-floor facility, and VSC has been allocated the entire second floor — purpose-designed for Virtual Taekwondo and Olympic-standard competition.
This will position VSC as the operator of one of the most complete phygital taekwondo venues in North America — capable of hosting international competition, athlete development programs, and federation-level events.
FITA's leadership in the VTKD space and what we are building in Canada represent a genuinely natural alignment. I would very much welcome the opportunity to sit down with you in Rome — over a coffee or a meal — to explore what a formal partnership or collaboration between VSC and FITA could look like.
In the spirit of that collaboration, I would like to propose something meaningful for the Roma Open itself. Would FITA consider extending an invitation for VSC to formally present a medal or award to Roma Open winners? A Canadian national virtual sports federation on the podium — even in a supporting role — would be a powerful and historic moment for both our organizations, and a strong visual for international marketing.
Our Director, Alison Nguyen, will be joining me in Rome specifically to lead VSC's PR and marketing efforts on the ground and to meet with our global partners. The timing could not be more ideal for a joint activation of this kind.
We will also be bringing VSC team merchandise — polo shirts and select apparel — to showcase the work we have been doing with our current partners and suppliers. We look forward to sharing a glimpse of the brand we are building and the partnerships behind it.
I am planning to arrive in Rome on June 3rd and remain through June 8th, following our VTKD event through to the close of the World Taekwondo Grand Prix as a spectator. Our current host hotel accommodation through the VTKD registration covers only through June 4th.