Kiwi taekwondo competitor Max Watene: 'It’s unsafe, but also it goes against my moral code.' Photo / Mark Mitchell
Kiwi taekwondo competitor Max Watene: 'It’s unsafe, but also it goes against my moral code.' Photo / Mark Mitchell
Kiwi taekwondo fighter Max Watene has turned down an opportunity to compete at the world championships in Azerbaijan over concerns about the country’s “terrible” record on gay rights.
The queer, under-68kg New Zealand No 1 recently faced a tough decision between his sporting ambition and looking out for his ownwellbeing as he got the call-up to the world championships in Baku, in May.
“Crowds of people on the street could just attack you for being you,” said Watene. “Do I go, and pretend to be someone I’m not?”
Before even being selected for the world champs, Watene had a call from his dad – who is also his coach – asking whether or not he would be going.
“I was like, ‘yeah, why wouldn’t I be?’” Watene told the Herald. “Then he explained it to me and since then I’ve done my own research.
“I had a look at things – and being gay you can be imprisoned and tortured and forced to do medical examinations.
“It’s unsafe, but also it goes against my moral code – they’re discriminating against me and people like me,” the 22-year-old said.
New Zealand's No 1 male under-68kg taekwondo fighter Max Watene. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson supported Watene’s decision. “Athletes need to feel comfortable in their environment in order to perform at their best, I can understand why Max might not feel that way in these circumstances.
“Everybody should have the right to participate in sport – at an elite level, or otherwise – without prejudice. Sport in general has a role to play in both protecting and enhancing human rights,” Robertson said.
Verina Wihongi-Tarawa, high performance director of Taekwondo NZ, said: “I take my hat off to [Watene].
“Well done to him, for standing his ground. That’s really disappointing that Max can’t go. He said: ‘I’d love to go, Verina, but I can’t go and be myself’.”
Watene said: “It didn’t feel right to go there.”
“You don’t really want to be put in a situation where the entire city hates you for who you are. I would love to go but it’s very scary to think about.
“I definitely want to fight for what’s right in the world and going there, being gay, and fighting at a world competition in a county that is opposed to gay people just seemed so wrong to me.
“It’s 2023, it should be pretty self-explanatory not to host a competition where not everyone is safe to be themselves. It’s a bit poor on that end to be thinking that shortsightedly.
“It’s kind of the same as the Fifa World Cup in Qatar – why would you not choose a place where everyone is accepted?”
A key consideration for Watene was whether not attending the world championships would affect his chances for making the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“The biggest goal for me right now would be the Olympics. I got really close back in 2020, I got to the Olympic qualifiers and lost to 10th in the world.
“I gave it up for a little bit – then last year, the fire sparked back in me and I was like ‘one more Olympics!’ I’ve got two years to prepare, I can do it.”
But finding out where the world championships were to be held and deciding he wouldn’t attend, was “a bit of a blow”, Watene said.
“That’s somewhere where you get really good fighting and mat ring time.”
Watene has been involved in the sport for almost half his life, so his predicament was “quite upsetting”.
“I started representing New Zealand at the age of 13 so since then it’s been pretty full-on, quite an important part of my life.
And during that time, the Wellingtonian said there have been only positives including travelling the world, gaining new perspectives and meeting many new people.
“In New Zealand, it’s not that big of a sport but around the world, it’s much more popular,” said Watene.
Max Watene training in Capital City Taekwondo Dojang in Lower Hutt. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Since turning down this year’s world championships, Watene has had full support from his whānau who are also all heavily involved in the sport.
His cousins, Cole and Honestly Watene, will still head to the event – Cole in the men’s senior under-58kg and Honestly in the women’s senior under-67kg.
“My family is all a little upset that I won’t be able to attend this world champs but all would prefer that I didn’t go and be safe.”
Taekwondo New Zealand has also been supportive and is working with him to ensure it doesn’t hinder his Olympic chances, they told the Herald.
Wihongi-Tarawa said: “For Max, he has a proven record as an experienced fighter ... he could have easily turned around and said, ‘screw you guys’, and that’s it. But it’s really good to see that he’s motivated to make those qualifications.”
Watene, said: “Since I’m missing out on such a big competition, which would be a great experience right before the Olympics, I’m thinking about other international competitions to get some experience.
“I’m discussing with my coach and we are maybe looking at heading to Thailand, Korea and a European tour.”
In 2017, Human Rights Watch reported that police in Azerbaijan had “conducted a violent campaign, arresting and torturing men presumed to be gay or bisexual, as well as transgender women”.
Same-sex relationships were decriminalised in Azerbaijan in 2000.
The Azerbaijani embassy – which is based in Canberra – has been approached for comment.
