Tribute to Kuisung Choi (KOR)

Kuisung Choi, a Laser Run pioneer who spearheaded the development of Modern Pentathlon in Asia, died on April 29, 2025 aged 83.

Mr Choi had a long period of service as UIPM Vice President from 1997 to 2016, and his impact in the international development of the sport stretched right back to 1987 when he founded the Asian Modern Pentathlon Confederation (AMPC).

Rob Stull, UIPM President, led the tributes by saying: “As AMPC Secretary General, Kuisung Choi led a continental development programme with great distinction and vision and created a lasting legacy.

“We hope he was able to take great pride from seeing the incredible results of Korean and other Asian athletes in recent years, not least the two medals won by Korean athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

“Our thoughts are with the Choi family at this sad time. The Pentathlon family has lost a great champion.”

Dr Klaus Schormann, who was President of UIPM throughout Mr Choi’s tenure as VP, added: “I first met ‘Choisi’ at competitions in the early 1980s, and then through his work with the Seoul 1986 Asian Games and Seoul 1988 Olympics.

“It was during the 1988 Olympic cycle that we created the Asian Confederation, and we became very close friends and I convinced him to join the UIPM Technical Committee in the 1990s, and then after becoming President I encouraged him to run for Vice President.

“Choisi was the ‘father of Asia’ for Modern Pentathlon, building connections with different countries and working strongly for development and on the technical side. He was very innovative in embracing steps that enabled us to increase nations and athletes, and he immediately supported new ideas like the switch from fire pistol to laser. He was a very open-minded person.

“Having been a pioneering Korean pentathlete competing in the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games, having followed a training plan set by 1948 Olympic champion Willie Grut, he was a true Olympian. On the technical side he was very strict in following the rules, and was very trusted in sport-politics and assisted me a lot in my presidency. He will be greatly missed by so many in our community.”