When the Campus Turns into a Competition Arena

“As an organizer, it was particularly moving to see how a long planning phase ultimately resulted in a real event full of energy, passion, and athletic competition,” says Kaize. “The moment when the first match was kicked off and the hall filled with athletes and spectators was an incredibly proud moment.“

There were 133 athletes in total, with KIT being the university with the most participants (14). “This year's DHM was actually the biggest ever held in taekwondo!” says Jessica. In addition to the 280 people in the hall, there was also a livestream on YouTube, which was watched by up to 3,500 viewers.

Strong Results for KIT

There was no lack of variety on the day of the DHM: The athletes competed in sparring, there was the traditional form running, a parasport category, and freestyle poomsae – movement sequences, step patterns, and techniques that the participants spontaneously choreographed to music. “It was clear that we hadn't just put together a national event,” says Kaize. “With around 20 national team members from Germany and Italy, the DHM was a truly high-level competition.”

In this high-class competition, the athletes from KIT won five bronze medals and three silver medals. Competitor Hannah Haake even qualified for the European University Championships. She will showcase her skills at the European level between October 28 and 30 and, like Kaize and Jessica in the previous three years, will have the opportunity to make a name for herself in top-level sport.

A Wide Range of Tasks Behind the Scenes

Organizing a sporting event of this size was no easy task for the two students. For over a year, they were busy with various organizational tasks and were responsible for ensuring that the DHM met the various expectations of those involved: In addition to basic things such as competition mats, technology, and referees, they also had to take care of emergency services, sponsors, catering, and finances.

“After all the stress, we were exhausted at first, but pretty quickly we felt that it had all been worth it, and that we would do it again,” emphasizes Jessica, and Kaize adds: “For us at KIT, it was something special, and we hope that this day will be remembered by many participants for a very long time.”

Elisa Rachel, January 29, 2026