Trần Triệu Quân (March 26, 1952 – January 12, 2010) was a Vietnamese-Canadian grandmaster of taekwondo and a professional engineer. He was president of one of the three International Taekwon-Do Federation groups from mid-2003 until his death. Trần held the rank of ninth dan black belt in taekwondo.
Trần was born on March 26, 1952, in Vietnam.[1][2] He began his study of taekwondo from age 12.[3] Trần attained black belt status by the age of 17, and was teaching taekwondo under his instructor, Kim Bong Sik.[2] He emigrated to Canada in 1970, studying mechanical engineering at Laval University and establishing the first taekwondo schools in eastern Canada.[3]
Apart from his extensive taekwondo activities, Trần operated Norbati Consultants Trần & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in building standards and project management for construction.[3] In 1994, Trần was imprisoned in Vietnam after a one-million-dollar sale of cotton to a Vietnamese state company that he brokered fell through.[1] He spent three years in prison.[1]
Trần was promoted to seventh dan on July 1, 1990, eighth on December 3, 2000, and ninth on December 22, 2008.[4] He was appointed president of one of the three ITF organizations on June 13, 2003.[5]
Trần was in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on business (ironically, working on improving building standards to withstand earthquakes and hurricanes),[6] and was staying at the Hôtel Montana when it collapsed in a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010.[2] Upon Trần's disappearance, ITF Senior Vice-President and Grand Master Pablo Trajtenberg was named Acting President of the ITF group that Trần had led.[7] Trần's remains were found and his death was confirmed on February 12, 2010.[1]
Trần was married to Nguyễn Thị Mỹ.[1][8] They had two daughters and a son—Joliette, Cécilia, and Nicolas—all holders of black belts in taekwondo.[1] Apart from his wife and children, Trần left behind son-in-law François Beaudin; grandchildren Jasmine and Sandrine; and brothers Triệu Cung and Triệu Lân.[8]
