Taekwondo 2014

2014

ISSUE NO.

101

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLD TAEKWONDO FEDERATION

Championships Results!

Athlete Interviews!

Regional Training Centers!

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLD TAEKWONDO FEDERATION ISSUE NO.

101

PARA TAEKWONDO: Our Next Big Mission

Taekwondo Grand Prix: The Future of Competition

Taekwondowon: Our Sport’s New Shangri-la Championships Results!

Athlete Interviews!

New Uniforms!

tapped global potential over the coming years.

We have had the privilege of watching a number of excellent taekwondo events in 2013.

President’s

Message

Dear global taekwondo family of the World Taekwondo Federation, The year 2013 has been hugely successful for the WTF in terms of achieving our goals and objectives.

The highlight was of course the decision taken by the International Olympic Committee in September 2013 to name taekwondo one of the 25 core sports on the 2020 Olympic program. Taekwondo’s inclusion in the Olympic Games in 2020 remains perhaps the WTF’s greatest achievement and our continued participation is a huge honor for all of the WTF family. We are very proud of the IOC decision and we will all repay their faith in our beloved sport by working tirelessly to ensure that taekwondo continues to develop worldwide.

In 2013 we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the WTF and we took the opportunity to commemorate the energy and devotion of all the athletes, volunteers, officials and member national associations that have been involved in our sport over the past four decades. Our federation has come a long way but we are now entering an exciting new period in taekwondo’s evolution as we look to realize the sport’s hugely un-

The World Taekwondo Championships in Puebla, Mexico in July were a huge success and credit must be given to the event organizers and all the athletes, officials and volunteers that contributed to making the championships such an excellent event. In October 2013, Bali, Indonesia, hosted the 8th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, while November 2013 saw the staging of the 2nd Asia-Europe Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships in Shenzhen, China and the 2013 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. All of these international competitions were brilliantly organized and helped to reinforce taekwondo’s position on the world stage.

Federation in 2013 and participated in the IPC General Assembly with observer status.

The WTF will also put an equal emphasis on the successful staging of the 2014 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix series and final, whose venues will be finalized in March. A growing number of countries are vying to host the Grand Prix events, which draw the best athletes and great interest from both the public and international media.

The WTF will continue to revise its Competition Rules and taekwondo uniforms to show the world a new taekwondo, more dynamic and more transparent and fairer, at the taekwondo competition at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. The WTF will also make the 5-on-5 team competitions more appealing to the public and the international media.

Finally, we completed the year with the inaugural World Taekwondo Grand Prix final in Manchester, UK. The competition marked the first step of our next exciting journey. The World Taekwondo GP will not only give our best athletes the chance to compete against one another on a regular basis, but will also allow us to fulfil taekwondo’s huge commercial potential. On the opening day of the competitions, we announced our partnership with the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, which will help us use taekwondo as a vehicle to promote the common goals of sport for all and peace.

The WTF has continued to be a loyal partner to the IOC. The election of the new IOC President, Dr. Thomas Bach, at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, marked the beginning of a new and exciting era for the Olympic movement. But it also highlights the need for constant change, renewal and recalibration of targets.

While taekwondo is in a good position currently, we must not become complacent. We must strive to advance our global sport and continue to maintain good relationships with President Bach and the Olympic family to safeguard our position on the Olympic program.

The year 2014 will be crucial in our continued evolution for the betterment of taekwondo and the WTF.

I wish all members of the WTF family a successful and prosperous 2014.

In 2014 the WTF will do its utmost to put taekwondo on the official program of the 2020 Paralympic Games. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) makes its final decision in October 2014.

In this regard, the WTF signed partnership agreements in 2013 with four of the international para-sports organisations, including the International Committee of Sport for the Deaf. The WTF was officially granted the status of IPC-Recognized International

Dr. Chungwon Choue President, World Taekwondo Federation

WTF Global Membership Expands to

Europe

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1. Albania 2.Andorra 3.Armenia 4.Austria 5.Azerbaijan 6.Belarus 7.Belgium 8.Bosnia & Herzegovina 9.Bulgaria 10.Croatia 11.Cyprus 12.Czech Republic 13.Denmark 14.Estonia 15.Finland 16.France 17.Georgia 18.Germany 19.Great Britain 20.Greece 21.Hungary 22.Iceland 23.Ireland 24.Isle of Man 25.Israel 26.Italy 27.Kosovo 28.Latvia 29.Lithuania 30.Luxembourg 31.Macedonia 32.Malta 33.Moldova 34.Monaco 35.Montenegro 36.The Netherlands 37.Norway 38.Poland 39.Portugal 40.Romania 41.Russia 42.San Marino 43.Serbia 44.Slovak Republic 45.Slovenia 46.Spain 47.Sweden 48.Switzerland 49.Turkey 50.Ukraine

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50 44 179

200

200

206

AMERICA

150 85

100 50 10

7

1973

1988

2005

2011

2014

More WTF members are expected in 2014 The global membership of the World Taekwondo Federation reached 206 as of March 2014, one of the largest International Sport Federations under the International Olympic Committee.

The latest addition to the WTF membership is Africa’s Mauritania, which became a provisional member of the WTF on Feb. 18, 2014.

Mauritania will become a full member of the WTF pending approval at the WTF Council meeting and General Assembly

in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei in March this year. Mauritania has the right to participate in all WTF events.

By continent, the African Taekwondo Union has the largest membership of 50 countries, together with the European Taekwondo Union. The Pan American Taekwondo Union follows with 44 countries, compared with the Asian Taekwondo Union’s 43. The Oceania Taekwondo Union has 19 countries as regional members.

1.Antigua & Barbuda 2.Argentina 3.Aruba 4.Bahamas 5.Barbados 6.Belize 7.Bermuda 8.Bolivia 9.Brazil 10.British Virgin Islands 11.Canada 12.Cayman Islands 13.Chile 14.Colombia 15.Costa Rica 16.Dominican Republic 17.Cuba 18.Dominica 19.Ecuador 20.El Salvador 21.Grenada 22.Guadeloupe 23.Guatemala 24.Guyana 25.Haiti 26.Honduras 27.Jamaica 28.Martinique 29.Mexico 30.Netherlands Antilles 31.Nicaragua 32.Panama 33.Paraguay 34.Peru 35.Puerto Rico 36.St. Lucia 37.St. Kitts & Nevis 38.Surinam 39.St. Vincent & the Grenadines 40.Trinidad and Tobago 41.Uruguay 42.U.S.A. 43.Virgin Islands 44.Venezuela

africa 1.Algeria 2.Angola 3.Benin 4.Botswana 5.Burkina Faso 6.Burundi 7.Cameroon 8.Cape Verde 9.Central African Republic 10.Comoros 11.Cote d’Ivoire 12.Congo 13.D.R. of the Congo 14.Egypt 15.Equatorial Guinea 16.Ethiopia 17.Gabon 18.Gambia 19.Ghana 20.Guinea 21.Kenya 22.Lesotho 23.Liberia 24.Libya 25.Madagascar 26.Malawi 27.Mali 28.Mauritania 29.Mauritius 30.Morocco 31.Mozambique 32.Niger 33.Nigeria 34.Ruanda 35.Sao Tome & Principe 36.Senegal 37.Seychelles 38.Sierra Leone 39.Somalia 40.South Africa 41.Sudan 42.South Sudan 43.Swaziland 44.Chad 45.Tanzania 46.Togo 47.Tunisia 48.Uganda 49.Zimbabwe 50.Zambia

asia 1.Afghanistan 2.Bahrain 3.Bangladesh 4.Bhutan 5.Brunei 6.Cambodia 7.China 8.Chinese Taipei 9.Hong Kong 10.India 11.Indonesia 12.Iran 13.Iraq 14.Japan 15.Jordan 16.Kazakhstan 17.Korea 18.Kuwait 19.Kyrgyzstan 20.Laos 21.Lebanon 22.Macao 23.Malaysia 24.Mongolia 25.Myanmar 26.Nepal 27.Oman 28.Pakistan 29.Palestine 30.Philippines 31.Qatar 32.Saudi Arabia 33.Singapore 34.Sri Lanka 35.Syria 36.Tajikistan 37.Thailand 38.Timor-Leste 39.Turkmenistan 40.United Arab Emirates 41.Uzbekistan 42.Vietnam 43.Yemen

oceania

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1.American Samoa 2.Australia 3.Cook Islands 4.Fiji 5.French Polynesia 6.Guam 7.Kiribati 8.Marshall Islands 9.Micronesia 10.Tuvalu 11.New Caledonia 12.New Zealand 13.Palau 14.Papua New Guinea 15.Samoa 16.Solomon Islands 17.Tonga 18.Tuvalu 19.Vanuatu

Part 2.

2013 REVIEW

WTF Head Calls for Sport Peace Corps

CONTENTS

WTF, U.N. Body to Promote Peace and Sport for All

60

‘Taste of Taekwondo’ Adds Spice to U.N. Youth Program 62

2013 MAJOR EVENTS

96

Going to School with the WTF

64

5th World Youth Taekwondo Camp 66

2014 Part 1.

Part 3.

IN FOCUS

AROUND THE WTF

The Next Big Mission: All out for Para-Taekwondo

12

Paralympic Taekwondo: The Way Ahead 18

2013 WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships 20

WTF 40th Anniversary : Party Night in Bali 110

Taekwondo’s Future Gathers in Suwon 68

Here Come the Champions (Grand Prix)

26

Interviews with Athletes 40

Mahama Cho Lutalo Muhammad Carlo Molfetta

46

The Decision: Taekwondo in 2020 Olympics!

WTF Council Members (2013-2017) 126

International Referee Interviews 152

Council Member Interviews 128

Julie Dib Christopher Codling Neydis Tavarez

Anthony Ferguson Pimol Srivikorn Sarah Stevenson

Continental Unions 168

2013 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships 106 2013 World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships 112 2nd Asia-Europe Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships 116 2013 World Combat Games 120

Technical Committee Convenes in New Taekwondo Complex 158

134

Election Time

Country Reports 136

2013 World Taekwondo Championships 96

‘Taekwondo Evangelist’ Steps Down

124

GB Taekwondo: Scouting the Elite 30

52

Taekwondo Peace Corps: A Report from the Front Line 56

New Regional Training Centers Coming On-Line 178

Taekwondo’s Latest Honorary Black Belts

160

New Uniformity for Poomsae Uniforms 180

Welcome to Taekwondo’s New Shangri-la

182

Events Calendar 188

Married to Taekwondo 166

The Next Big Mission: All out for Para-Taekwondo

The Next Big Mission:

All out for Para-Taekwondo The WTF is putting all its resources into getting taekwondo into the 2020 Paralympic Program

T

aekwondo has secured its 2020 Olympic berth, but as a sport for all, more can be done - and nobody knows this better than the head of the WTF, who laid out the federation’s next “big mission” in his New Year’s message.

“In 2014 the WTF will do its utmost to put taekwondo on the official program of the 2020 Paralympic Games,” said WTF President Chungwon Choue.

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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

In Focus

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The Next Big Mission: All out for Para-Taekwondo

In October 2013, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) granted the WTF IPC-recognized International Federation status. One month later, the WTF participated in the IPC General Assembly in Athens, Greece as an observer for the first time.

The IPC, the global governing body of the Paralympic movement, is scheduled to make its final decision on the official program of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Steps are already underway. The WTF, with its global membership of 206 member national associations, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2013 with three international para-sports organizations: INAS, the international sport federation for para-athletes with an intellectual disability; the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA); and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA). The WTF also inked an MOU with the International Committee of Sport for the Deaf (ICSD) for the further development of taekwon-

do for deaf athletes.

Under these MOUs, taekwondo will be included in almost all multi-sport games for the disabled. Taekwondo has already been confirmed as a demonstration sport at the 2015 INAS Global Games and the 2015 CPISRA World Games. The WTF is also working hard to fulfill the requirements for inclusion in the 2015 IBSA World Championships and Games.

As taekwondo has been included in the Deaflympics since 2009, the WTF plans to create an annual World Deaf-Taekwondo Championships. Since 2013, both kyorugi

Just as this magazine was going to print, we learned that para-taekwondo kyorugi had been shortlisted by the International Paralympic Committee for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

This means we have passed Phase 1. The final decision will be made by the IPC on Oct. 6-7, 2014.

Fingers crossed for October!

The IPC said that six sports and three disciplines are now competing to be on the official program of the 2020 Paralympic Games. They are para-taekwondo, para-badminton, powerchair football, 3-on3 intellectually impaired basketball, electric wheelchair hockey, amputee football, one-person multi-hull sailing, blind match racing sailing, and 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball.

Currently there are 22 sports on the summer Paralympic Games program - athletics, archery, boccia, canoe, cycling, equestrian, football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, rowing, sailing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheel-

TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

ed a series of research programs into evidence-based, sport-specific classification systems and competition rules. These are the WTF’s latest steps for taekwondo’s inclusion in the 2020 Paralympic Games.

The first stage of WTF research was conducted on 18 able-bodied athletes on Dec. 21-23, 2013 at Yong In University in Korea. During the initial stage, elite able-bodied athletes were tested to provide a baseline measure for comparison to para-taekwondo athletes.

The second stage of research was conducted on 16 para-taekwondo athletes from Russia, France and Turkey in Moscow, Russia on Jan. 21-24, 2014. The second research period marked the first time that the WTF has conducted a sport analysis on para-taekwondo athletes. The research was supported by the European Para-Taekwondo Union, the Russian Paralympic Committee and the Russian Taekwondo Union.

The IPC was founded in 1989 as an international non-profit organization formed and run by 174 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations.

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Since the first Games in Rome, Italy in 1960, the Paralympic Games have continued to grow in size and stature. The first Games featured 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in eight sports - archery, athletics, dartchery, snooker, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing

Stop Press!

Games in October this year, according to an IPC press release.

and poomsae have been included in the Deaflympic Games. The first WTF World Deaf-Taekwondo Championships will be held in 2014 with the recognition of the ICSD. Taekwondo will also be included in the 2016 World Deaf Martial Arts Championships.

chair tennis. The two latest additions are para-canoe and para-triathlon, and both will make their debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

and wheelchair basketball.

At the 2012 London Paralympic Games, a record 4,237 athletes from 164 countries took part in 503 medal events across 20 sports. A global audience of 3.8 billion watched the Games, while 2.78 million tickets were sold, making the Paralympics the third-largest sporting event in the world behind the Olympics and FIFA World Cup. In 2010, para-taekwondo, para-badminton, intellectually impaired basketball, para-golf, and powerchair football all applied to be part of the Rio 2016 Paralympic sports program, but were unsuccessful, with the IPC Governing Board instead choosing applications from para-canoe and para-triathlon.

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be held from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6, 2020.

The IPC is constantly researching and amending their classification system for the fairest classification possible.

In line with the IPC Classification Code, the WTF has, in recent months, conduct-

Athletes and coaches involved in the testing were also invited to give their feedback on the classification and competition system. Among the suggestions put forward to maximize the promotion of the sport were the creation of more para-taekwondo competitions, a ranking system and an increased national quota.

Based on this research, the WTF has developed a para-taekwondo classification rules and regulations, para-taekwondo competition rules, and a standing procedure for the World Para-Taekwondo Championships, all of which are subject to approval by the WTF Council and General Assembly this March in Chinese Taipei.

The WTF’s ceaseless efforts for the Paralympics date back to June 2006, when WTF President Choue sent a letter to IPC President Sir Philip Craven, expressing the WTF’s high interest in the Paralympic Games.

In July 2006, the WTF General Assembly unanimously approved the establishment of the WTF Paralympic Committee. The WTF Paralympic Committee was namechanged to the WTF Para-Taekwondo Committee in 2013 to better reflect the tasks of the committee. The WTF Para-Taekwondo Committee is chaired by Mr. Jacobus Engelbrecht, president of the CPISRA.

In Focus

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The Next Big Mission: All out for Para-Taekwondo

The WTF organized a para-taekwondo demonstration during the opening ceremony of the inaugural WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in September 2006 in Seoul, Korea. Two months later, the WTF held its first WTF Paralympic Committee meeting in Seoul.

66 athletes from 21 countries.

In July 2010, the WTF sent its application to the IPC for the 2016 Paralympic Games.

The 3rd WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships took place on Nov. 22, 2012 in Santa Cruz, Aruba, drawing 53 athletes from 14 countries. The 4th World Para-Taekwondo Championships were held on June 8, 2013 in Lausanne, Switzerland, attracting 86 athletes from 25 countries.

On June 6, 2013, the WTF para-taekwondo development task force held a meeting in Lausanne, in which they suggested the development of world-class para-taekwondo competitions of both kyorugi and poomsae for athletes of all disabilities.

Another para-taekwondo demonstration was held at the welcoming reception of the Seoul IPC General Assembly in November 2007.

The WTF held its first WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 10, 2009, drawing a total of 38 athletes from 19 countries. The championships were only for limb-deficient athletes.

The 2nd WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships were held in St. Petersburg, Russia on May 11, 2010, attracting

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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

The 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships are likely to be held in June this year in Russia.

The WTF is actively urging its continental unions and member national associations to hold regional and national para-taekwondo championships.

para-taekwondo events and produce para-taekwondo development programs.”

“I believe that our efforts will further help promote the Paralympic movement,” Choue added. “We are committed to creating a world stage for our para-taekwondo athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to provide sporting opportunities for those with a disability.”

In line with the WTF policy, the Pan American Taekwondo Union held its first Pan American Para-Taekwondo Championships on Dec. 9, 2010 in Monterrey, Mexico on the occasion of the 2010 Pan American Taekwondo Championships. The second Pan American Taekwondo Championships took place in Sucre, Bolivia on Sept. 26, 2011.

The European Taekwondo Union held its inaugural Para-Taekwondo Championships on Sept. 26, 2011 in Moscow, Russia, drawing 53 athletes from nine European countries. The second European Para-Taekwondo Championships were held in Chisinau, Moldova in April 2013.

“We plan to further develop the WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships into a genuinely world-class para-sport event,” WTF President Choue said. “In this regard, I strongly ask WTF Continental Unions and member national associations to initiate and expand their

In Focus

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The Next Big Mission: All out for Para-Taekwondo

Paralympic Taekwondo:

The Way Ahead The WTF has appointed Jacobus Adriaan Engelbrecht, president of the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA), to head the WTF Para-Taekwondo Committee. How will the WTF Para-Taekwondo Committee work and what will the future cooperation between CPISRA and the WTF look like?

Read on

What do you think the WTF should focus on to make taekwondo an official sport of the Paralympics?

Certainly, it is to build a relationship with the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) and I hope through my involvement we can just achieve that.

How do you feel about being appointed as chairman of the WTF Para-Taekwondo Committee?

I really feel honored, and at the same time excited, because this appointment will help, alongside other committee members, to create opportunities for athletes of all disabilities to compete in the sport of taekwondo. It’s an opportunity that they would not have had in the past.

Jacobus Adriaan Engelbrecht

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Your term of office is over the next two years. What is your plan?

I can tell you that there is a definite goal and that is to work toward creating a system where para-athletes can compete in taekwondo. They have also a goal to reach, and that is to compete at the highest level; for many of them, it is to compete at the Paralympics and I hope that we can create a system that is fair, and

that all the member national associations will support this aim. So this is part of the plan.

So for this year of 2014, what can be the main target?

I do believe that the main target this year is definitely to get everything in place so that the IPC approves 2020 as the first Paralympics where para-taekwondo athletes can compete. Along with that it is competition - international or world championships - and then to create a platform where all member associations will support developing para-taekwondo from the lowest level to the highest.

What is your overall evaluation of the WTF’s para-taekwondo policies?

I am very impressed with all the policies that are already in place. My experience

working with the WTF is that it is an organization that has got their policies in place already, and it is easy to work alongside individuals to ensure that we can continue in this way.

As president of the CPISRA what kind of support can you offer the WTF for taekwondo to be included in the official program of the 2020 Paralympic Games - whose decision is scheduled for October this year?

I think as president of CPISRA, it is my knowledge of the sports world and the network that I have and the contacts to bring all people and all relevant stakeholders together, to work toward this goal, so when the decision is made in October this year, it will have the support of the IPC.

As head of CPISRA, you signed a memorandum of understanding with the WTF last year. What kind of cooperation do you expect from the WTF this year?

At the moment we are already in a negotiation about the CPISRA World Games for next year. So I really appreciate the support that CPISRA is getting and that we can cooperate to make it possible to present taekwondo in the CPISRA World Games next year.

Finally, do you have anything else you want to add?

I am very pleased to be involved. So thank you for the opportunity!

What is your prospect for taekwondo to be included in the 2020 Paralympics?

Well, there is only one goal and we will work for 2020.

In Focus

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2013 WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships

2013 WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships Russia, Turkey take overall men’s, women’s titles in Lausanne, Switzerland Lausanne, Switzerland

June 8, 2013

Russia won four gold medals, four silver medals and one bronze medal for a total 68 points for the overall men’s title at the 4th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland on June 8, 2013.

According to the team ranking by points, Azerbaijan came next with one gold, five silvers and four bronze medals for 52 points, followed by Turkey with three golds and one bronze for 38 points, and Iran with three golds for 33 points. Spain finished fifth with one gold, one silver and one bronze for 33 points.

In the women’s division, Turkey clinched the overall women’s title with one gold, one silver and one bronze, followed by Russia with three silvers and one bronze.

Azerbaijan came next with one gold and one silver, followed by Denmark and Canada with one gold each.

The Good Fighting Spirit Award went to Nepal, while Mongolia took the Active Participation Award.

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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

Ukraine’s Viktoriia Marchuk was selected as the female MVP of the championships, while Azerbaijan’s Jahangir Bayramov as the male MVP. Russia’s Alexander Efremov was chosen as the male team’s best coach, and Turkey’s Muammer Canbaz as the female team’s best coach.

A total of 82 athletes from 25 countries participated in the one-day para-taekwondo event, which was held at the Centre Sportiv de Grande-Vennes in northeastern Lausanne. Twenty-six countries submitted their entries, but Iraq failed to send its athletes at the last moment.

At the inaugural WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in June 2009 in Baku, Azerbaijan, 36 athletes from 16 countries competed, compared with 65 athletes from 21 countries at the 2nd World Para-Taekwondo Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia in May 2010. The 3rd World Para-Taekwondo Championships held in Santa Cruz, Aruba in November 2012 attracted 53 athletes from 14 countries.

In Focus

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2013 WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships

Russia sent the largest contingent of 16 athletes, including 12 males, to the 4th World Para-Taekwondo Championships, followed by Azerbaijan with 15 athletes.

Turkey came next with 11 athletes. Spain dispatched six para-athletes, while Mongolia sent five.

Iran, France, Ukraine and Brazil each sent three athletes to the Lausanne event, while Poland sent two. A total of 15 countries dispatched one athlete. They are Nepal, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Canada, Guatemala and Mexico.

Prior to the final matches of the 4th World Para-Taekwondo Championships, there was an opening ceremony. At the cere-

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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

mony, WTF President Chungwon Choue said, “It is with great pride and pleasure that I welcome you all here to the Olympic capital.”

“I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations and appreciation to the Swiss Taekwondo Association for their hard work and collaboration in hosting both of these inspiring events,” Choue said.

He continued, “I am proud to announce that yesterday the WTF signed MOUs with the International Sport Federation for Para-Athletes with Intellectual Disability and the Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association to work together to include new competitors and disciplines into taekwondo.”

In Focus

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WTF Para-Taekwondo Chronology

The Next Big Mission: All out for Para-Taekwondo

World Para-Taekwondo Championships Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Oct. 16, 2013

IPC granted WTF IPC-recognized IF status

Oct. 25, 2013

WTF signed MOU with ICSD (International Committee of Sports for the Deaf) in St. Petersburg, Russia

November 2013

WTF signed MOU with IBSA (International Blind Sports Federation) in Athens, Greece

May 11, 2010

2nd WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships were held in St. Petersburg, Russia

November 2007

A para-taekwondo demonstration was held at the welcoming reception of Seoul IPC General Assembly

2006

2007

2008

June 2006

WTF President sent letter to IPC President expressing high interest in Paralympic Games

July 2006

WTF GA approved establishment of WTF Paralympic Committee (renamed to WTF Para-Taekwondo Committee)

Dec. 21-22, 2013

WTF’s first stage of research was conducted in Yong In University in Korea for the development of sport-specific classification systems

July 2010

WTF applied for 2016 Paralympic Program

2009

June 10, 2009

1st WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships were held in Baku, Azerbaijan

2010

2011

2012

Nov. 22, 2012

2013

3rd WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships were held in Santa Cruz, Aruba

2014

Jan. 21-24, 2014

WTF’s second stage of research was conducted in Moscow, Russia

June 2014

5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships are likely to be held in Russia

September 2006

A para-taekwondo demonstration was held at opening ceremony of 1st World Taekwondo Poomsae Championship

June 6, 2013

WTF para-taekwondo development task force met in Lausanne, Switzerland

June 7, 2013

WTF signed MOU with INAS in Lausanne, Switzerland

June 7, 2013

WTF signed MOU with CPISRA (the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association) in Lausanne, Switzerland

June 8, 2013

4th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships were held in Lausanne, Switzerland

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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

In Focus

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rix Grand P

Here Come the

CHAMPIONS Seoul-based correspondent Andrew Salmon reports on how the 1st WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in Manchester, GB, provided a winning benchmark for the sport’s spectacular new fixture Dec. 13-15, 2013

The first ever World Taekwondo Grand Prix – a series of internationally hosted events designed to showcase the excitement of top-level taekwondo in a high-profile, media-friendly format, while filling in holes in the sport’s competitive calendar – kicked off at the Manchester Central Convention Complex in Great Britain. Competitions ran over three days, from Dec. 13-15, 2013.

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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

Manchester, famed equally for its football teams, pop groups and nightlife, was an appropriate venue. “Great Britain wanted to host the first Grand Prix event,” said event organizer Gary Hall, performance director of GB Taekwondo. With Great Britain’s taekwondo bodies keen to follow up the sport’s smash success at the 2012 London Olympics, the event was generously funded by the governmental bodies UK Sport and Manchester City Council.

“London 2012 really opened our eyes to taekwondo’s potential. We saw some of the best and most exciting action that the sport has ever seen, and we saw huge enthusiasm from specta-

tors and TV audiences,” said WTF President Chungwon Choue.

“We want to make sure we continue to build on this. “ The Manchester Grand Prix was just the first in this new series, which is branded “Here Come the Champions.” It is a non-mandatory, invitational event. Invitations are based on WTF rankings.

There will be at least two Grand Prix series and one Grand Prix final every year.

Manchester welcomed 231 athletes from 59 countries.

Among them were three London 2012 Olympic gold medalists, and two Beijing 2008 Olympic gold holders. Matches in eight weight categories – men’s -58kg, men’s -68kg, men’s -80kg, men’s

+80kg, women’s -49kg, women’s -57kg, women’s -67kg, and women’s +67kg - were officiated by 56 international referees. The scoring and judging systems used in London – protector and scoring system (PSS) and an instant video replay system – were also used at the Grand Prix.

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“The World Grand Prix will help realize taekwondo’s huge untapped commercial potential and give sponsors a chance to have a meaningful role in the global development of the sport,” said WTF Secretary Gen-

taekwondo,” said WTF PR head Seok-jae Kang. “We are granting the Grand Prix-hosting rights to cities which are able to generate maximum marketing and media exposure.” Kang noted that there has already been considerable competition from countries around the world to host

‘We want to make sure we continue to build on this’

Among the innovations seen in Manchester was a black competition mat. Previously, matches had taken place on blue and red mats, but the WTF had discovered, after testing various colors, that black could be most telege-

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nic. And so it proved. The spinning, leaping, kicking athletes in their white uniforms, contrasted with a black field, provided TV cameras with strikingly dramatic footage. More innovations are to come: At the next Grand Prix in July, octagonal mats will be showcased.

While taekwondo is one of the world’s most popular participation sports, it has never quite captured the attention of main-

stream spectators. If the Grand Prix is any indication, this state of affairs may be changing, for media exposure in Manchester was exceptional. Some 100 channels from around the world broadcast the Grand Prix, including the BBC, which ran live coverage throughout the three-day event.

A strong incentive for the hosting city is the possibility of leveraging the commercial potential of what is – at last - being recognized as a spectacular sport for viewers.

eral Jean-Marie Ayer. “The division of television rights between the WTF and the host cities will ensure that the entire global taekwondo community is connected to the event, whether they are watching from the comfort of their own homes on the TV or the internet, or first-hand.”

Indeed, tickets for the threeday event in Manchester were sold out, providing a solid marketing benchmark for future host cities to follow. “The World Taekwondo Grand Prix shows the world the ‘best of the best’ of

upcoming Grand Prix series and final events. Strong contenders at time of writing include cities in China, Great Britain, Kazakhstan and Mexico.

There is another incentive for hosting member national associations. They can improve their athletes’ seedings. The top 31 athletes in the eight Olympic weight categories were invited to this first Grand Prix final; one extra spot in each weight category was, and will be, reserved for the home team. There is a maximum quota of two athletes

per nation in any one category.

The first Grand Prix delivered a widespread medal distribution.

Russia came first, followed by host GB in second place, Spain in third place, Chinese Taipei in fourth and Sweden fifth.

One surprising – arguably, historic - result was Korea’s showing; the traditional taekwondo powerhouse only managed a sixth place, and did not take home a single gold medal. This is the first time the sport’s home team has not won gold at a major WTF international competition.

A Korean observer noted that while this was not exactly cause for celebration, it shows that the sport – in the form of its first-ever Grand Prix – had passed a milestone: Taekwondo is now truly global.

The event’s organizer was delighted by it all.

“We could give a unique event that was different,” Hall of GB Taekwondo summed up. “We believe that the quality delivery of the event was world class.”

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GB Taekwondo: Scouting the Elite British taekwondo has seen a surge in success in recent years.

How did they achieve it?

Gary Hall (UK)

H

aving won its first taekwondo Olympic medal – a bronze – in Beijing in 2008, Great Britain is now putting its best foot forward. It seized a gold and a bronze on home turf in London 2012, and took overall second place in the landmark 1st Grand Prix final held in Manchester in December 2013.

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What is behind the high-kicking sport’s sudden success in a kingdom better known for football, cricket, rugby and boxing?

The best person to answer that question may be Gary Hall, performance director of GB Taekwondo. “In the UK, we have British Taekwondo, which is the national governing body for WTF taekwondo in the UK,” Hall said in a recent interview during a visit to Korea. “We are a separate, limited company, which works on behalf of British Taekwondo.”

While British Taekwondo develops and administers the sport overall, GB Taekwondo, established in 2001, is a company

closely affiliated with the national governing body. It has a specialized mission: Seeking out athletes from all martial arts across the UK – including, of course, taekwondo – who have a chance of medaling at European, world and Olympic events.

After being scouted, the fighters are put through a battery of tests that check their personal, physical and tactical characteristics. The lucky few chosen – GB Taekwondo can handle up to 32 athletes, four for each Olympic weight category – are enrolled in a full-time training program at the company’s academy in Manchester, a city with a solid sport-

ing pedigree. It is home to two premier league sides, Manchester City and Manchester United, as well as being the epicenter of UK cycling. At the academy, the athletes undergo 20-28 hours of training a week, under the eyes of four British and two Korean coaches; doctors, nutritionists and physiotherapists are all close at hand.

GB Taekwondo also incubates the sport’s up-and-comers. “We have a development program for the best junior and cadet athletes,” said Hall. “They work on a basis of weekend camps and competitions, and work toward being in the academy, full time.”

He added, ”This creates a really good athlete pathway from cadet to senior level.”

GB Taekwondo kicked off in 2001 with a national lottery funding of GBP40,000 (US$66,500).

Today, it has a four-year budget of GBP7.5 million (US$12.5 million), provided largely by government body, UK Sport. Sport England provides funding for the youth programs.

Hall puts the sudden avalanche of funding down to Olympic success, which massively raised the sport’s visibility nationwide, and hopes that Team GB will take home even more medals from Rio in 2016.

GB Taekwondo was also a key player in bringing the first Grand Prix to Manchester and in operating the widely praised event. GB is bidding to hold other events in the series in 2014, 2015 and/or 2016. Where might it take place?

“We want to establish it in Manchester because it is getting a big following here, we want to keep it here as a central location,” Hall mused. “But we might host it in London.”

Hall himself is not simply a fund-raiser or administrator. He holds a fifth-dan in taekwondo.

He started the sport 38 years ago after being inspired by Bruce Lee movies, and gave up a career

working for global retailers like Next and Marks and Spencer to take on the position of performance director.

“I want to carry on building GB’s success and contribute to the success of taekwondo in the world,” he said. “That is what I enjoy, and that is what I do for a full-time living; I hope to keep giving back to the sport and help inspire the next generation of future athletes.”

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Dec. 13, 2013

Host Great Britain, Spain, Russia Clinch 1 Gold Medal each on 1st Day of 2013 WTF Grand Prix Final in Manchester

TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

Host Great Britain, Spain and Russia took one gold medal each on the opening day of the inaugural 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in Manchester on Dec. 13, 2013.

Great Britain’s Mahama Cho required a fourth golden-point round to earn his country the gold medal in the men’s +80kg division against Brazil’s Guilherme Cezario Felix.

After three rounds of competition, Cho and Felix were tied at 2-2 and his right-hand punch in the fourth sudden-death round gave him the victory, exciting the

home fans.

In the category, the bronze went to Gabon’s Anthony Mylann Obame and Korea’s Dongmin Cha. “I did my best and my biggest dream has come true,” said the 24-year-old Cho shortly after the final match. “My next dream is the 2016 Rio Olympics and I am confident that I will make it.”

Cho, who started taekwondo at the age of 8, said he previously won a final against Felix at the 2012 French Open.

In the women’s -49kg final match, Spain’s Brigida Yague En-

rique easily defeated Korea’s Sohui Kim 9-1 to earn her country the gold medal.

Yague Enrique, the silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games and four-time world champion, needed a fourth golden-point round to reach the final match against Chinese Zhao Yi Li. In the category, the bronze went to China’s Zhao and France’s Yasmina Aziez.

In the women’s +67kg category, Russia’s Olga Ivanova beat Korea’s In-jong Lee 2-1 in the final match to take the gold medal.

Mexico’s Briseida Acosta Bala-

rezo and the Netherlands’ Reshmie Shari Oogink shared the bronze medal in the division.

Russian Ivanova, the gold medalist in the women’s +73kg division at the 2013 Puebla World Taekwondo Championships, advanced to the final match by crushing the Netherlands’s Oogink 12-3. Korea’s Lee reached the final match as she outpointed Mexican Maria del Espinoza 9-6.

A total of 231 athletes, including 115 males, from 59 countries were competing for top honors at the Manchester Central Exhibition Complex.

For the first time ever in WTF history, all semifinal and final matches were conducted on a black-mat court, and televised live in about 100 countries around the world.

The Grand Prix final featured four male and four female Olympic weight categories. The maximum number of athletes per Olympic weight division was 32.

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Great Britain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei Grab 1 Gold Medal each on 2nd Day of 2013 WTF Grand Prix Final in Manchester

TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

Host Great Britain, Sweden and Chinese Taipei clinched one gold medal each on the second day of the inaugural 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in Manchester, Great Britain on Dec. 14, 2013.

Great Britain’s Lutalo Mustafa Muhammad, the bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, needed a fourth golden-point round to grab the gold medal in the men’s -80kg category against Russia’s Albert Gaun.

After three rounds of competition at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, Muham-

mad and Gaun were drawn to a 2-2 score and his left-foot attack to the body of Gaun in the fourth sudden-death round earned him the top honors, thrilling the home fans.

In the division, Turkey’s Yunus Sari and the Isle of Man’s Aaron Cook shared the bronze medal.

“It was a really close match and it was a fantastic fight. I am happy to be the golden-point winner at the 1st Grand Prix event,” Muhammad said after the victory ceremony.

Muhammad, who started taekwondo at the age of 3, said, “I

wanted to come out today at the home ground and I proved that I can do it.” The 22-year-old Muhammad said he would compete at the 2016 Rio and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and beyond.

In the men’s -58kg final match, Chinese Taipei’s Chen-Yang Wei brushed aside a stiff challenge from Korea’s Tae-hun Kim to beat Kim 6-5 for the gold medal.

Wei, the bronze medalist in the men’s -58kg division at the 2013 Puebla World Championships and the bronze medalist in the men’s -63kg at the 2011 Gyeongju World Championships, advanced

to the final match by defeating Mexico’s Damian Alejandro Villa Valadez 2-0 in a semifinal match.

In the division, the bronze went to Mexico’s Villa Valadez and Iran’s Hadi Mostean Loron.

In the women’s -67kg division, Sweden’s Elin Maria Katarina Johansson easily beat Chinese Taipei’s Chia Chia Chuang 9-2 to earn her country the first gold medal at the inaugural Grand Prix event.

Johansson, the US Open champion, reached the final match as she beat Russia’s Anastasiia Baryshnikova 2-0 in a semifinal

match.

France’s Haby Niare and Russia’s Baryshnikova shared the bronze medal in the same category.

Besides final matches, the quarterfinal match between the Isle of Man’s Aaron Cook and Steven Lopez of the United States drew special interest from both the public and international media.

Cook fought an exicting match against Lopez to win the match 17-14 to advance to the semifinal round.

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Dec. 15, 2013

Spain, Russia Take Home 1 Gold Medal each on Final Day of 2013 WTF Grand Prix Final in Manchester

TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

Spain and Russia grabbed one gold medal each on the third and final day of the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in Manchester, the United Kingdom on Dec. 15, 2013.

After three days of competitions at the inaugural 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final, Russia topped other countries in the overall medal tally as it took home two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.

Host Great Britain came next with two golds and one silver, followed by Spain with two golds,

Chinese Taipei with one gold and one silver, and Sweden with one gold. Korea came next with three silvers and one bronze, while Brazil and Canada clinched one silver each.

A total of 231 athletes from 59 countries competed for top honors at the 2013 World Taekwondo Grand Prix final, which took place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex.

In the women’s -57kg category, Jade Jones, the gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the silver medalist at the 2011 Gyeongju World Champion-

ships, came from behind to beat China’s Yuzhuo Hou in a semifinal match to advance to the final match. But Spain’s Eva Calvo Gomez brushed aside a stiff challenge from Jones to win the final match 4-3 for the gold medal.

Calvo Gomez, the bronze medalist at the 2013 Puebla World Championships and the 2010 Spanish Open gold medal winner, reached the final match by edging down France’s Floriane Liborio in a fourth golden-point round.

In the men’s -68kg final match, Russia’s Alexey Denisenko, the

bronze medal winner at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the gold medalist at the 2013 Russia Open, earned his country the gold medal as he managed to defeat Canada’s Maxime Potvin 1-0.

Denisenko made it to the final match by beating Iran’s Behnam Asbaghikhanghah 5-4, while Potvin, the silver medalist at the 2009 World Championships and the gold medalist at the 2012 Pan American Championships, reached the final match as he outpointed Iran’s Bagheri Motamed 3-0.

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Medal Standings RANK

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country

MEDAL G

S

B

1

Russia

2

1

1

2

United Kingdom

2

1

0

3

Spain

2

0

0

4

Chinese Taipei

1

1

0

5

Sweden

1

0

0

6

Korea

0

3

1

7

Canada

0

1

0

7

Brazil

0

1

0

9

Iran

0

0

3

9

France

0

0

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Athlete Interview

UK

Mahama Cho

Discipline, Respect and Honor Taekwondo kept Mahama Cho off the streets; now the first Grand Prix has granted him his first major title

What is your opinion of using a protector and scoring system at the WTF’s major events?

The scoring system is good, it has changed the way taekwondo is and it is fairer. People are now coming into taekwondo with different styles so there are now the original taekwondo fighters and more unorthodox ones which makes the sport really interesting.

What is your impression of winning the gold medal at the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix final?

I was satisfied with my performance and happy to end the season with my first major title.

I know I made a couple of mistakes but that is what I have been working on since the Grand Prix. Hopefully this year I can be even better as a result of being a Grand Prix champion.

What is your overall evaluation of the inaugural Grand Prix event in Manchester, UK? The event organization in Manchester was fantastic and it was a really good show, both live at the event and on TV. As an athlete it was a great stage on which to perform and Manchester really set the standard for what top-class taekwondo events can be like in future. The athletes couldn’t ask for anything more and it was a really great experience.

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The WTF celebrated its 40th anniversary of founding in 2013. What is your overall evaluation of the WTF’s activities?

Taekwondo has come a long way and the WTF always tries to develop the sport; the introduction of the scoring system and the way taekwondo is showcased are two examples. The WTF has put a lot of energy and support into how to be fair but also unique and to allow athletes to fight to the best of their abilities. With the improvement to scoring, the new ranking system and the ability to qualify through the rankings for the Olympics, it shows the progress that the WTF is making. Hopefully, they can continue to develop taekwondo in this way.

Do you have any suggestions for the further development of taekwondo and the World Taekwondo Federation?

With the systems changing and the sport constantly evolving we

need to remember the tradition of the sport and its sacred history. We mustn’t forget the core of taekwondo and the respect everyone has for one another. I hope that athletes will continue to perform the way they have done in the last Olympic cycle.

Taekwondo was voted to be on the 25 core sports of the 2020 Olympic Games. How do

you feel about that?

It is fantastic news. Thanks to London and the way the sport was showcased it has left a great impression on many people.

Great Britain as a nation know how to put on a good show and to promote the sport in a really positive light. Having the BBC broadcast the Grand Prix live on TV and online provided taekwondo with great exposure and this is important as the sport secures its Olympic future. Hope-

fully this can continue and the legacy of taekwondo will only grow.

What are the strong points of taekwondo, compared with other sports?

I think the majority of people who watch taekwondo fall in love with it because it is such a dynamic, fast, technical and acrobatic sport. Trying to describe the sport to people is not enough, it has something special which needs to be seen and more publicity can only help this.

How popular is taekwondo in your country?

Taekwondo is becoming quite popular in this country thanks to our Olympic medalists; Lutalo Muhammad, Jade Jones and Sarah Stevenson. Sarah has been an ambassador for taekwondo in Britain and her historic achievements in the sport really built a foundation for taekwondo in the UK. All the youngsters will look up to both her, and now our 2012 Olympians, and the positive exposure they provide.

When did you start practicing taekwondo?

I started taekwondo when I was eight and my father taught me.

I joined the national team when I was 17 and now, at 24, I’m a Grand Prix winner. It is the only major I have won so I hope to take a European title in 2014, and eventually qualify for Rio 2016.

What were the reasons for practicing taekwondo?

Discipline, respect and honor are three of the core reasons. Also I like to rely on myself, rather than as a team. If I don’t give 110 percent it is my fault, and knowing that you can fail by yourself pushes me.

How important is taekwondo to you and your career?

Taekwondo is massively valuable to me, in fact it saved me. It kept me off the streets as a child and stopped me hanging around with the wrong people. It taught me to have respect for my parents and elders and is part of the reason I left football for taekwondo. The respect you learn in taekwondo is something you will have for life and a legacy to future generations as it proved with my father to me.

What is your taekwondo philosophy?

My philosophy is on my twitter account @chotimetkd “Come In Peace But Not In the Ring - The Ring Is My Kingdom and I Am Not Going In For Second Best” What are your plans for 2014?

The 2014 European Championships is my main goal. I hope I can perform well there, qualify for the future Grand Prix’s and be in the top six by the end of the year.

Then I will continue to push on into 2015 and Rio qualification.

Grand Prix

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Athlete Interview

UK

Lutalo Muhammad

Gold on Home Turf

Briton Lutalo Muhammad took the second Grand Prix gold on home turf in Manchester. Here is how he sees the sport

What is your impression of winning the gold medal at the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix final?

It was a great honor to win the gold medal at the Grand Prix and I was really happy. It being the inaugural event made the victory all the more special.

What is your overall evaluation of the inaugural Grand Prix event in Manchester, UK? I thought it was very professionally run. Even though the UK has a great reputation for taekwondo events, I was really surprised at just how good it was. The crowd, the presentation, the replays and the BBC coverage was fantastic for the sport. If that can continue and is the future of taekwondo, then I’m really looking forward to being a part of it.

What is your opinion of using a protector and scoring system at the WTF’s major events?

Personally I’m a massive fan of the electronic scoring system in place. It makes the sport more transparent, fairer and easier for the viewing audience. It’s also great for athletes, because if it scores, it scores; if not, then it doesn’t. There’s no human error involved. Sometimes there can be inconsistencies but with technology improving all the time it can only get better and better.

The WTF celebrated its 40th anniversary of founding in 2013. What is your overall

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evaluation of the WTF’s activities?

I think the WTF is a really professionally run organization and has overseen a lot of changes in the last two years. Since the Olympics, the sport has now got a bigger profile and they are continuing to maintain the rich history while allowing it to progress. I

think it’s great for our sport and I’m privileged to be an athlete in modern taekwondo. And happy 40th birthday!

Do you have any suggestions for the further development of taekwondo and the World Taekwondo Federation?

I’m very interested to see how the trials of electronic head guards progress, and from an athlete’s perspective, how the octagon rings will make an impact in the run up to the Rio Olympics.

Taekwondo was voted to be on the 25 core sports of the 2020 Olympic Games. How do you feel about that?

I was absolutely over the moon

when I heard it would be included. We had such a great Olympics in London and the sport was really showcased to the best of its abilities, with packed crowds and exciting matches. I’m sure that contributed to the decision and while I may no longer be in the sport by then it will be great for its legacy and the continued growth of the sport.

What are the strong points of taekwondo, compared with other sports?

Taekwondo is a growing sport, one which is a very exciting with the new rules. The flashy high kicks are what we’re famous for and now that we’re rewarded for it, it comes through more. It is now very viewer friendly as was demonstrated by the Grand Prix and I’m often told by people that they were surprised how much they enjoyed watching it on the BBC. We do kicks no other sport can do which really sets us apart and it’s generally a very exciting sport.

How popular is taekwondo in your country?

Following the home Olympics where we took home gold and bronze medals, it has really grown. So many people are looking to participate in the sport and are now watching it. I feel really privileged to be fighting now and hopefully by the time I leave the sport, it will be even bigger.

taekwondo?

I started when I was three years old under my dad’s tuition. He is responsible for teaching me everything I know and has been a big inspiration. I owe him everything.

What were the reasons for practicing taekwondo?

My dad started teaching me so I didn’t have much choice! He wanted to teach me discipline and teach all his sons about martial arts.

How important is taekwondo to you and your career?

Taekwondo is extremely important to me as I stated previously.

It’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I love the spirit of martial arts and it has given me a great focus in my life. Now being a professional athlete, training, competing and representing my country means a great deal.

What is your taekwondo philosophy?

My philosophy is to be respectful, be good to others and enjoy the sport as much as you can.

What are your plans for 2014?

In 2014 I am aiming to defend my European title in Azerbaijan and emulate my success at December’s Grand Prix later this year.

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Athlete Interview

Italy

Carlo Molfetta

Living the Dream

Italy’s Olympic golden boy Carlo Molfetta was sidelined by injury at the Grand Prix, but is looking forward to coming back strong

Belatedly,congratulations on winning the gold medal in the men’s +80kg weight category at the 2012 London Olympic Games! How do you feel now?

Thank you very much. How do I feel? Good question, so different and totally equal. It is the result that I pursued for a lifetime, what I was missing and now I finally managed to get there, so I would say that I feel elated and proud of me!

What is your evaluation of the 2012 London Olympic Games?

When you get the best possible result, you see things in a different way, I’m definitely biased, so for me it was the London Olympics the most beautiful of all.

What is the current status of taekwondo in your country?

Do you think your gold medal has affected taekwondo’s popularity somehow in your country?

Taekwondo in Italy is definitely on the rise, until a few years ago not all people knew taekwondo but now it is very famous! Everyone knows this sport. My final was the most watched of all in my country so it definitely served for the growth and reputation of this wonderful sport.

You went to Manchester, UK for the 2013 World Taekwondo Grand Prix final, but failed to compete because of your injury. Are you fully recovered?

Absolutely, I train without problems from early January now I am ready to face this 2014 in full strength.

What is your overall evaluation of the Grand Prix final event?

It was a great idea, and this Grand Prix final will be more and more important, really compliments to the WTF staff for this choice and idea. In Manchester I saw nice fights and the best athletes in each weight category.

What is your plan as an athlete this year?

Win more championships to feel comfortable with the ranking.

But I think it’s everyone’s goal.

Hahahaha!

Tell us about your personal taekwondo story. When did you start taekwondo and on what motivation?

I started taekwondo at 5 years because I always wanted to be with my father and he did it also.

So I started for him. Then, I grew more and more and I realized how much I love this sport even trying in the meantime almost all sports.

Do you have any recommendations for the betterment of taekwondo as an Olympic sport?

The WTF is doing what I think is enough for this sport, with the entry of electronic helmets will be much better. Perhaps the only matter that we should think about is changing the dobok, not because I do not like it, but simply to try to have a uniform more marketable from a sponsor’s point of view.

What is your view on the introduction of the protector and scoring system (PSS) and the instant video replay system?

Of course there is always something to improve in everything, but we are definitely on the right track, regarding the PSS and the replay system I am very proud of both items.

The WTF celebrated its 40th anniversary of founding last year. What is your overall evaluation of the WTF and taekwondo?

I am proud of this World Taekwondo Federation and its representatives. I think they’re doing so much for the growth of taekwondo in the world.

The IOC voted to include taekwondo on the official program of the 2020 Olympic Games at its Session last September. Do you think taekwondo will maintain its Olympic status after the 2024 Olympic Games? If you think so, on what grounds?

The basics are the same ones that made ​​ us come into Olympic sports: clean, anti-doping, respect for opponents and the spectacular kicks. I think all this is a perfect mix to remain in the Olympic program. Taekwondo is a wonderful sport and I could not imagine the Olympics without.

Do you have anything else to mention?

Good luck to all the athletes for a 2014 full of good results!

Thank you.

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The Decision: Taekwondo in 2020 Olympics!

WTF president hails IOC decision, but urges taekwondo family not to be complacent at good news

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to put taekwondo on the official program of the 2020 Olympic Games as one of the 25 core sports during its 125th Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sept. 8, 2013.

“In my fourth term as WTF president, I will ensure that we are always doing our best to ensure the sport of taekwondo continues to engage sports fans of all generations, and continues to add value to the Olympic movement,” Choue continued.

“I was delighted that the IOC decided to keep 25 core sports, including taekwondo, in the 2020 Olympic program,“ said WTF President Chungwon Choue. “We at the WTF are very grateful for the continued guidance and support we receive from the Olympic family.”

The WTF’s main objective is to grow audiences at every competition, while keeping taekwondo a universal sport with extensive and diverse participation. It offers universal opportunities, regardless of race, gender and social status and the sport is evolving technologically to become more dynamic.

Choue also thanked former IOC President Jacques Rogge and all the members for the decision, and his colleagues for all their continued collective efforts to maintain our Olympic standards.

The WTF president noted that taekwondo’s inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games remains perhaps the WTF’s greatest achievement. “Our continued participation is a huge honor for all of the WTF family,” he said. “We are very proud of the IOC decision and we will all repay their faith in our beloved sport by working tirelessly to ensure that taekwondo continues to develop worldwide.”

Over the last 10 years, the WTF, which celebrated the 40 th anniversary of its founding last year and boasts a global membership of 206 countries and territories around the world, has ceaselessly strived to maintain its Olympic status.

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That status was never assured, though.

Shortly after taking helm of the WTF in 2004, WTF President Choue launched a Reform Committee, which produced a 200-page Reform Report after months of hard work. The WTF unanimously approved the WTF Reform Report at its extraordinary Council meeting at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland in March 2005.

Since then, the WTF has carried out its recommendations, focusing on making refereeing and judging as fair as possible; making competitions more dynamic and action-packed; and making taekwondo media friendly, especially for television.

These efforts resulted in huge success at the 2012 London Olympic Games, which proved to be the best Olympics yet for taekwondo, and a golden moment for this young, but hugely popular sport.

International media, surprised by the sport’s new look, new rules, new gear and new heroes at the London Olympics, were full of praise.

In Focus

47

‘We are very proud of the IOC decision and we will all repay their faith in our beloved sport by working tirelessly to ensure that taekwondo continues to develop worldwide’

“The WTF could wish for no better way of promoting its sport for generations to come,” said Rogge in a congratulatory message after the London Games. “Taekwondo has shown that it is a sport which can, and does, contribute to the values and ideals of Olympism, pursuing excellence, ensuring fair play and promoting friendship.”

From medal distribution to technology to rules to safety, the WTF was delighted by how everything came together. Eight gold medals at the London Olympic taekwondo competitions were given to eight

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different countries. Out of 32 medals up for grabs at the taekwondo competition in the London Olympic Games, a total of 21 countries took at least one medal, showing a good medal distribution.

The WTF will, WTF President Choue said, continue to revise its competition rules and uniforms to show the world a new taekwondo - more dynamic, more transparent and fairer than ever – at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

“The WTF will also make 5-on-5 team competitions more appealing to the public and the international media,” Choue stated.

He added that the WTF continues to be a loyal partner to the IOC. The election of the new IOC President, Dr. Thomas Bach, marks the beginning of a new and exciting era for the Olympic movement, but also highlights the need for constant change, renewal and recalibration of targets.

“While taekwondo is in a good position currently, we must not become complacent.” Choue warned. “We must strive to advance our global sport and continue to maintain good relationships with the Olympic family to safeguard our position on the Olympic program.”

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WTF Head Calls for Sport Peace Corps WTF president makes strong case at 2013 SportAccord in St. Petersburg Oct. 23, 2013

W ‘We launched the Taekwondo Peace Corps to instill positive values and discipline in youth two factors that are key to living a life of virtue and honor’

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TF President Chungwon Choue has urged international sports leaders attending the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games to join his envisioned “Sport Peace Corps” project.

“Encouraged by the popularity of the Taekwondo Peace Corps program, the WTF, in cooperation with the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee, plans to launch a Sport Peace Corps,” WTF President Choue said.

“To this end, the WTF is in close discussions with the United Nations and we expect to see tangible results in the near future,” he added.

Dr. Choue said he wants to start the Sport Peace Corps program with the world governing bodies of the 15 martial art and combat sports which attended the 2013 SportAcord World Combat Games.

Under the session topic “Using Combat Sport to Create Social Change: Moving from Vision to Action,” Dr. Choue made the remarks in his speech as a panelist at the international forum “Martial Arts and Combat Sports in Society “at the Constan-

tine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on Oct. 23, 2013.

The forum, which drew about 300 governmental, academic and sports representatives as well as athletes, was a prestigious event organized within the framework of the cultural program of the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games, which kicked off on Oct. 18 for a nine-day run.

Mr. Joel Bouzou, founder and president of Peace and Sport, moderated the session.

“We launched the Taekwondo Peace Corps to instill positive values and discipline in youth - two factors that are key to living a life of virtue and honor,” Dr. Choue said in his speech.

“The Corps also creates a platform where young athletes can not only improve their taekwondo skills, but open their minds through cultural exchange, and in the process broaden and deepen their knowledge of the world so that they can be a force to promote peaceful coexistence among the world’s nations and peoples.”

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Dr. Choue unveiled the Taekwondo Peace Corps at an international workshop in Belgium in 2007 and again, later that year, at a “Peace and Sport” forum in Monaco.

On May 22, 2010, he proposed the Sport Peace Corps at the 1st UN-IOC Forum at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, suggesting it should involve all Olympic sports on a global scale.

Each Taekwondo Peace Corps team is made up of four competent taekwondo teachers: three taekwondo masters, each of whom is a qualified taekwondo educator, and one person with language skills,

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who serves as an interpreter.

Since its first dispatch of Taekwondo Peace Corps members in the summer of 2008, the WTF has sent a total of 1,046 members to 99 different countries on 12 occasions.

Prior to WTF President Choue’s speech, Mr. Wilfried Lemke, special advisor to UN Secretary General Ki-Moon Ban on sport for development and peace, made a keynote speech, in which he spoke well of the WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps activities.

In another session on “Investing in Social Programs: Strategies and Modus Ope-

randi,” Prof. Jin-bang Yang of Yong In University in Korea made a presentation on taekwondo and the WTF. Ms. Sarah Stevenson of the United Kingdom, who serves as the taekwondo ambassador of the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games, also made a presentation as a panelist in a third session on “Activating the Athlete as a Role Model, an Educator and an Influencer.”

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Taekwondo Peace Corps: A Report from the Front Line Nele Lemke reports on her recent mission to Papua New Guinea

At the age of seven, I started practicing taekwondo in my hometown Bremen, Germany and since July 2013, have had an instructor’s license.

After graduating from high school in May 2013, I got the opportunity to take part in a voluntary service, organized by the Taekwondo Peace Corps, as well as an internship with the WTF in Seoul. Things started on July 7 in Papua New Guinea with a seven-week mission for the TPC. “Love, Purity and Diligence” is the motto of the Caritas Technical Secondary School (CTSS) in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Even though it is very dangerous, incredibly poor and one of the world’s least explored countries, you feel safe and extremely welcome when entering the girls’ school because those values are taken very seriously among students and teachers.

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The team consisted of five members: four Korean volunteers (two girls, two boys) and me. We were taken care of and the sisters of Caritas always made sure we were healthy and well.

The TPC has been sending Korean coaches for two years and there is a Korean coach working permanently with the students on taekwondo. A demonstration team has been created among the best students. We trained them every day, always trying to keep the training interesting and varied. Taekwon dance, kyorugi and kyokpa were the most frequent.

The first difficulty was communication between the Koreans and me. Their English skills were rather poor and I was always afraid of missing out on important information. All the heads of the school and sisters were Koreans as well. As the program went on, the communication

got a little better as their English improved due to their English classes. My Korean did, too.

On the first weekend in Papua New Guinea the sisters and some teachers prepared a trip to a resort on the beach. We made friends with a lot of people during the “PNG-style” barbecue and swimming.

They tried everything to let us experience their country and make us feel welcome.

After a week of resting and experiencing the new culture, we were facing our first week of taekwondo. Tuesday to Friday we would teach all the students of grades 9 to 11; about 16 classes per week.

On Mondays all the coaches went to the learning center to teach basic motions to the kids of elementary school age. Because of their young age and limited concentration span, the class lasted just 20 minutes.

The periods at Caritas went on for either 40 or 80 minutes. Unfortunately a lot of students were not so fond of taekwondo so sometimes up to one third would sit down telling us they were sick. I am positive that this occurs due to the fact that the CTSS only offers taekwondo classes as sport. Nevertheless, some students were extremely motivated.

Due to the fact that the Koreans all majored in kyorugi and I have always practiced poomsae we decided to teach poomsae for the first two weeks and carry on with kyorugi afterwards. I discovered that the students as well as the Koreans really enjoyed my way of warming up. Using fun running and coordination games to get ready for taekwondo was a new experience for all.

While the Koreans learned new ways of practicing taekwondo from me, I experienced many new forms of training from them. During the following weeks

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World Taekwondo Peace Corps the students improved their taekwondo skills, and we also learned how to deal with space, attitudes and motivation.

Everyone really appreciated our work so on weekends they would always take us somewhere to learn more about PNG. On the second weekend, we went trekking down the “Kokoda Trail,” a path down which, during World War II, PNG helpers used to carry wounded Australian or American soldiers. They would also take us to crafts markets and resorts where we could go snorkeling and kayaking, and even to very poor villages where the demonstration team performed. We also attended a great traditional show.

I felt the program was very well organized by the TPC. However, I have some suggestions. The WTF has 206 member nations, and I think it would be great to work with them all. Until now, only Korean volunteers have been given this opportunity. My suggestion would be to send two Koreans with either one or two internationals to each country. I would be glad to use my contacts in Germany to try this.

I would also suggest that the volunteers offer a crash course for future instructors to make sure that students’ progress in taekwondo continues after the volunteers leave. Another possibility is to qualify locals to be able to instruct a group and offer them a visit to Korea each year.

I also suggest working with international sports federations apart from taekwondo. In PNG, taekwondo was the only sport on the program. I think it would be great to urge different sports federations to establish their own Peace Corps and work together with the TPC. Another alternative would be offering different sports in the afternoons to balance taekwondo.

Sports like soccer, basketball and volleyball do not require a lot of materials.

Going to Papua New Guinea has inspired me. I was very lucky to have this opportunity to work with such amazing, loving people. I will stay in contact with all the friends I made and am proud and thankful for my WTF internship.

Countries for Winter 2013 Taekwondo Peace Corps

Continent

Nepal

Asia (12)

Africa (7)

Europe (2)

Pan America (2)

Oceania (3)

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Countries

No. of

Period of

Members Dispatch 4

2014.1.6 - 2.14

Taekowndo Peace Corps Short-Term Projects

Period of

No. of

1st

July-Aug.

27 members, 7 teams in 5 countries

2nd

Jan.-Feb.

3rd

July-Aug.

4th

Jan.-Feb.

5th

July-Aug.

6th

Jan.-Feb.

7th

July-Aug.

8th

Jan.-Feb.

Term

Dispatch 2008

Laos

4

2014.1.6 - 2.14

Malaysia

4

2014.1.14 - 2.25

Myanmar

4

2014.1.6 - 2.15

Bangladesh

4

2014.1.15 - 2.24

Brunei

4

2014.1.6 - 2.25

Sri Lanka

8

2014.1.10 - 2.18

Singapore-1

4

2014.1.6 - 2.21

Singapore-1

2

2014.1.6 - 2.21

India 1

5

2014.2.4 - 2.26

India 2

9

2014.1.5 - 2.24

China

5

2014.1.6 - 2.21

Cambodia

8

2014.1.6 - 2.15

Turkmenistan

4

2014.1.6 - 2.6

Gabon

4

2014.1.7 - 2.23

South Africa

1

2014.1.21 - 3.27

Lesotho

4

2014.1.7 - 2.7

Senegal

4

2014.1.11 - 2.21

9th

July-Aug.

Sudan

4

2014.1.6 - 2.15

10th

Jan.-Feb.

Zambia

4

2014.1.20 - 2.21

Cameroon

4

2014.1.6 - 2.16

11th

July-Aug.

Sweden

2

2014.1.8 - 2.26

Poland

4

2014.1.29- 2.21

Nicaragua

4

2014.1.25 - 2.27

12th

Jan.-Feb.

Venezuela

4

2014.1.15 - 2.23

Tonga

4

2014.1.16 - 2.26

Papua New Guinea

6

2014.1.8 - 2.16

Fiji

4

2014.1.14- 2.24

26

122

Total

2009

2009

2010

2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013

2014

Dispatched Members, Teams & Countries (China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Paraguay)

32 members, 8 teams in 8 countries (Greece, Russia, Morocco, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Egypt, China, Kyrgyzstan)

48 members, 12 teams in 12 countries (El Salvador, India, Isle of Man, Bhutan, Samoa, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Poland, Angola, Philippines, Azerbaijan)

98 members, 27 teams in 24 countries (Angola, D. R . Congo, Egypt, Cambodia, Iran, L aos, Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Greece, Poland, Russia, New Zealand, Samoa, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Surinam)

110 members, 25 teams in 20 countries 107 members, 25 teams in 25 countries

106 members, 27 teams, 19 countries 102 members, 26 teams in 22 countries 80 members, 20 teams in 17 countries 124 members, 32 teams in 27 countries 94 members, 25 teams in 21 countries (Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, South Africa, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Russia, Poland, Brazil, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Fiji)

122 members, 34 teams in 26 countries (Nepal, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Singapore, India, China, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, Gabon, Lesotho, South Africa, Senegal, Sudan, Zambia, Cameroon, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Sweden, Poland, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji)

1,046 members, 269 teams in 99 different countries 2013 Review

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WTF, U.N. Body to Promote Peace and Sport for All In another landmark, the WTF and UNOSDP agree to cooperate

T

he World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) on Dec. 13, 2013 signed a partnership agreement which aims to use taekwondo as a vehicle to promote the organizations’ common objectives of promoting sport for all and peace.

The agreement was signed by Mr. Wilfried Lemke, the U.N. Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, and WTF President Dr. Chungwon Choue on the opening day of the inaugural World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Speaking after the signing, WTF President Choue said: “The WTF has a very special relationship with the UNOSDP. We share many of the same values and we fully support the UNOSDP in their mission to support people around the world by providing them with opportunities to engage in sport.

“Taekwondo is more than a sport – it’s a philosophy. Taekwondo teaches young people discipline, fair play and sportsmanship. Young athletes learn the importance of respecting one another whatever their nationality, race or gender. These values will not only help them to be a success in taekwondo but help them to contribute to society outside of the sport.”

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The partnership aims to use taekwondo as a tool to promote peace-building objectives, social inclusion and the rights of persons with disabilities. The WTF Peace Corps for Para-Taekwondo will be largely responsible for carrying out the work of the partnership but will also be supported through the WTF’s involvement in the UNOSDP’s Youth Leadership Programme (YLP).

Wilfried Lemke added: “Taekwondo is an excellent partner for the UNOSDP. We look forward to collaborating with them in the future as we look to achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.”

The partnership between the WTF and UNOSDP is the latest joint effort in a history of valued cooperation between the two organizations. The WTF previously worked with the UNOSDP to contribute to the successes of the YLP in Gwangju, Korea, in August 2013. The WTF sent their facilitators to instruct youth leaders on how to teach taekwondo in a way that is socially inclusive and replicable in their community. In addition, Special Adviser Lemke and the UNOSDP have agreed to offer the WTF the opportunity to send participants to the next YLP, while also offering to assist the WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps with promoting para-taekwondo.

‘Taekwondo is an excellent partner for the UNOSDP. We look forward to collaborating with them in the future as we look to achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals’

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‘Taste of Taekwondo’ Adds Spice to U.N. Youth Program The taekwondo element of the 7th UNOSDP Youth Leadership Program in Gwangju, Korea concluded successfully

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The taekwondo session of the 7th UNOSDP Youth Leadership Program, which was held on Sept. 1, 2013 at Honam University in Gwangju, Korea, was a resounding success.

The taekwondo event was part of the 13-day United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) Youth Leadership Program (YLP), which started on Aug. 22 and lasted until Sept. 3.

The Gwangju Youth Leadership Program, which was co-hosted by the 2015 Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee and the UNOSDP, drew a total of 34 people, aged between 18 and 25, from 19 countries.

Among the participants in the program were four North Koreans - two boys and two girls. There were also two people with disabilities: one male participant from Tonga in a wheelchair and one female participant from Vanuatu with slight cerebral palsy.

Under the theme “Taekwondo as a Sport for All: Taste of Taekwondo,” the participants in the taekwondo program received both theoretical and practical training.

“The taekwondo program was a great success as it drew a special interest from the participants.,” said Prof. Jung-heon Kim of Yong In University in Korea, who facilitated the program. “The highlight was a board-breaking event, in which the participants wrote their bad habits or their wishes on their respective board and broke it after explaining them to the other participants.”

The concept of the UNOSDP Youth Leadership Program was to provide youths from around the world with opportunities to become acquainted with and use various sports to develop society.

The 2015 Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee plans to host the same program in 2014 and 2015.

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Going to School with the Since its foundation in 1973, the WTF has been vigorously conducting various educational programs and activities

International Referee Seminars and Refresher Courses & International Coach Training Courses.

Since 1974, the WTF has conducted international referee seminars to foster international referees for kyorugi (sparring) and poomsae (forms) to officiate at WTF-promoted international taekwondo championships. It has also conducted International Referee Refresher Courses.

WTF-Kyung Hee University Partnership Taekwondo Training Program In 2005, the WTF partnered with Korea’s Kyung Hee University to undertake taekwondo training programs for athletes and coaches. Under this program, athletes and coaches from underdeveloped countries train taekwondo kyorugi and poomsae and are educated on related subjects at the International Taekwondo Academy of Kyung Hee University. In 2013, a para-taekwondo athlete from Ukraine participated in the program, opening the program to athletes with disabilities.

World Youth Taekwondo Camp Besides seminars and courses in relation to taekwondo competitions, the WTF has been conducting the World Youth Taekwondo Camp jointly with the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation (TPF) in Korea. The World Youth Taekwondo Camp was inaugurated in 2009 and has been held annually with the participation of taekwondo athletes aged 14 to 20 around the world. At this camp, participants practice kyorugi and poomsae under instruction of world and Olympic champions and are also educated in the importance of friendship, leadership, the tenets of taekwondo and Olympic values. Reports on the World Youth Taekwondo Camp have been sent to the IOC. Asian Youth Taekwondo Camp in Joint Organization with the OCA The WTF jointly organized the Asian Youth Taekwondo Camp with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in cooperation with the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and the Thailand Taekwondo Association in 2013, with participation of athletes aged 15 to 17 years old and accompanying coaches from Asian NOCs. The WTF dispatched instructors and Olympic medalists as champion ambassadors and role models for participants. The OCA has conducted this camp jointly with International Sports Federations every year.

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WTF Taekwondo Demonstration Team The WTF Taekwondo Demonstration Team has undertaken performances in many cities around the world as well as on the occasions of various international taekwondo competitions, including WTF-promoted championships and multi-sport games. Since its creation in 2008, the demonstration team has not only shown various components of taekwondo to spectators at international events, but has conducted city tours and given presentations to specific target groups such as children as part of its cultural and educational programs.

Participation in UNOSDP Youth Leadership Camp A taekwondo session was first included in the Youth Leadership Camp promoted by the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace held in Gwangju, Korea in cooperation with the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade Organizing Committee in the summer of 2013. The purpose of the camp is to bring youth who have the potential to be community leaders in the field of sport for personal development. The camp is both theoretical and practical in nature and provides participants with a tool-kit on how sport can be best used to improve social conditions in the participants’ home communities. The UNOSDP selects about 30 participants aged between 18 and 25, with a 50 percent female participation. In 2013, the UNOSDP and the WTF signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on the Youth Leadership Camps held under the UNOSDP Youth Leadership Program. The camps, which will be held in Germany, the United States and Korea in 2014, will also include taekwondo sessions. The WTF cooperates with the UNOSDP on dispatching instructors, and on the program of taekwondo sessions.

Taekwondo Peace Corps The WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps (TPC) was created in 2008 and has dispatched Taekwondo Peace Corps members to less-developed countries to help people in those countries develop and serve their community through sports. Since its inauguration, the TPC has sent members to many countries twice a year, for a period of about one to two months per country, per dispatch. WTF President Chungwon Choue proposed the creation of a so-called “Sport Peace Corps” together with the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee and the International Sports Federations at the U.N.-IOC Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 22, 2010. “The Sport Peace Corps entails provision of comprehensive sport-related assistance to not only underdeveloped countries, but any U.N.-assigned areas,” WTF President Choue said in his presentation at the forum at the Olympic Museum of the IOC headquarters.

The forum participants adopted 10 resolutions, in which they especially commended the “achievements of the WTF in its successful outreach to young people and its aims of building a better and more peaceful world; and to advocate the consideration of its global expansion, in close cooperation with key stakeholders, including the IOC, the UN, national and international sports federations and NOCs, firmly believing that together, we have the ability to promote global peace and harmony through sport.”

Under the topic “Sports Diplomacy: The WTF Experience,” WTF President Choue told forum participants, “Assistance includes providing equipment and skills and training for local athletes and coaches for any Olympic sport in countries in need. This gives hopes and dreams to young people who are deprived of the opportunity to learn, while promoting friendship, peace and understanding through sport and interpersonal interactions.”

The WTF has continuously expanded its mission from the promotion of taekwondo to contributions to world peace and development through taekwondo. Though not an educational activity per se, the inauguration of the World Para-Taekwondo Championships in 2009 and the WTF’s effort to expand taekwondo competition to people with disabilities of different kinds, in cooperation with international sports organizations for the disabled, can also serve the cause of world peace and development.

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5 World Youth Taekwondo Camp th

The ice was broken on the brand-new super-complex of our sport when the 5th World Youth Taekwondo Camp was held at the Taekwondowon in Muju, in addition to events in Jeonju and Seoul July. 30, 2013

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Some 174 participants from 30 nations attended the 5th World Youth Taekwondo Camp held from July 22-28, 2013 in Korea.

The Olympic Value Education Program (OVEP) and the spirit of Olympism, sports and taekwondo were promoted. The participants got to understand and communicate with people from diverse cultures, and were given training in leading a healthy life, both physically and spiritually. And needless to say, participants also got plenty of high-kicking taekwondo action.

The participants arrived at the Taekwondowon in Muju, south-central Korea, after a three-hour bus ride from Incheon International Airport. They were the first international taekwondo group to train at this superb new location. After a welcoming orientation, the camp attendees were divided into six groups, with four-six countries represented in each one. The groups were also assigned local volunteers to assist them with any difficulties they might face over the week.

The first official session was kyorugi, which took place at Taekwondowon’s sparkling new T1 Arena. Among the coaches for this session were two Olympic gold medalists. In addition to various combative drills, warm-ups and warmdowns were conducted. The second session, poomsae, featured three world champions in the discipline; in addition

to martial movements, terminology and even meditation were covered. Taekwondo sessions for the rest of the course continued in a similar fashion.

Other activities included watching taekwondo movie “The Kick,” touring Taekwondowon’s varied and extensive facilities, and taking part in a talent show.

Special lectures for, on the one hand, athletes, and on the other, coaches and masters, were delivered on such issues as taekwondo as a lifetime endeavor, becoming a champion, and OVEP. Course participants also visited the town of Jeonju, which is noted for its district of hanok, or traditional Korean cottages. In Jeonju, course members were welcomed by the mayor and instructed on the preparation of the town’s most famous dish, bibimbap (mixed rice), which is one of the most popular and accessible Korean dishes worldwide. Lunch was part of the lesson! The camp goers then took part in activities reflecting various aspects of Korean culture.

The last two nights of the camp were held in Seoul, finishing with a demonstration, board breaking and photo session at Olympic Park.

By the time of the camp’s conclusion, new skills had been honed, global friendships had been made and everyone’s spirit had been refreshed.

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Taekwondo’s Future Gathers in Suwon: WTF World Cadet Taekwondo Camp Nigerian participant and coach Abdulmumin Yusuf reports from the World Cadet Taekwondo Camp at Kyung Hee University in Suwon, Korea, which covered everything from first aid to counseling

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The WTF’s World Cadet Taekwondo Camp took place on Aug. 5-11, 2013 at Korea’s Kyung Hee University, one of the premier taekwondo training institutions in the world. The camp attracted some 55 children aged five and upwards from nations as distant as Egypt, Hungary, Lebanon, Monaco, Nigeria and, of course, Korea.

After arriving, Nigerians Mallam Abdulmumin Yusuf, Dynaam Depoert (11 years old), Mohammed Kabir Zayyan (11) and Awesome Ocha Godwin Abbah (8), instantly fell in love with the serene environment of the university, which overlooks the city of Suwon, south of Seoul.

D

AY ONE July 5

The camp started on the 5th of July with an orientation in the College of Physical Education by Master Yung, who took participants through the history of taekwondo and various taekwondo programs over the years. That was followed by mid-day training and general exercise from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. then a sumptuous Korean lunch.

The 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. training was divided into two categories: Forms or sparring, according to individuals’ chosen interest.

Dinner was Korean-style, and the kids were thrilled.

D

AY TWO July 6

Full training commenced at 7:30 a.m. and ran until 8:30 a.m. Between 10 a.m. and midday, special training was offered. This included counseling on potential academic and career prospects for the kids and first aid training with the introduction of several methods newly developed by Korean scientists. After dinner, participants were taken through a vigorous taekwondo aerobics class. This is a potential money-spinner in a world obsessed with health and fitness.

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WTF World Cadet Taekwondo Camp

D

AY THREE July 7

After a vigorous morning cross-country run and breakfast, participants headed off-campus for a field trip to Seoul.

The cadets were taken to Gyeonggokgung, a traditional palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It had been invaded and sacked by foreign invaders, but still contained many historic edifices which fascinated the children. A lecture on Korean and taekwondo etiquette was delivered by the erudite Prof. J. K. Sung, From here, buses conveyed the participants to the National War Memorial, a huge museum and memorial complex which honors the memory of Korean war heroes, as well as the UN forces who fought during the Korean War. The exhibitions include historic collections of Korean military history over more than a thousand years.

The field trip culminated with a visit to the Kukiwon, the “home” of taekwondo, which includes a museum where figures from taekwondo’s past are displayed.

D

AY FOUR July 8

Morning training took the form of stretching, meditation and relaxation exercises. This was followed by a Korean and English language class. At the same time, nutrition training took place for coaches to help in prepping athletes for championships.

The main training was again poomse or sparring, taught by experienced professors and former champions. This training helped to expose the kids and participants to Olympic-standard competitions.

Later, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., a special class in advanced taekwondo demonstration training took place.

D

AY FIVE July 9

After breakfast, the participants went on another field trip to the Ocean World, where artificial sea waves were created for fun with an ancient Egyptian setting as background. This theme park is another display of Korean technological advancement and management ability. The kids had fun all day.

Back at Kyung Hee after dinner, a live “Gangnam Dance Class” was held which thrilled the kids with dancing rhythms.

D

AY SIX July 10

It was up with the lark for jogging and fitness followed by breakfast, then on to “extreme martial arts.” This is a new and advanced form of taekwondo that increases both self-defense abilities and discipline. That afternoon was the final class in poomsae and kyorugi, followed by class pictures and networking. That evening, all participants, the entire faculty of Kyung Hee University and officials of the WTF treated us to a dinner buffet of Asian food in the biggest open restaurant I have ever seen.

D

AY SEVEN July 11

The closing ceremony and graduation was an emotional parting, with the award of certificates and fantastic souvenirs from Kyung Hee and the WTF. On and/or by the following day, all delegates had returned home.

Recommendations The questionnaires administered by organizers on the last day were too technical and advanced for the kids The camp was rather too short. It should be increased from seven to 12 days for more networking and assimilation As only a few athletes make a living solely through taekwondo, it is pertinent to help the children prepare for a future in working life, hence a need to invite speakers from different fields rather than solely taekwondo backgrounds Interaction with other participants should be encouraged where kids should present their career aspirations Participants should be exposed to creative subjects such as Korean calligraphy A cross-cultural gala night or exhibition where participating kids can showcase cultural displays or clothing would be a good idea Olympic values should also be taught along with the etiquette class for kids The first aid classes should be increased for the coaches Appreciation of Korean cooking should be introduced optionally for kids who love cooking.

During field trips to historic sites, volunteers should explain the various monuments to the kids The organizers and especially the volunteers should be giving special commendations for their incredibly brother and sisterly patience

The Nigerian team was solely sponsored by parents and individuals who love taekwondo and are interested in investing into the best of Nigerian future.

We wish to thank: Tycoon Taekwondo Tours Academy, which supports Sunnydale Homes Taekwondo Club and Inspire Academy Taekwondo Club; Saudi Properties; KAB Development Ltd.; NESRO DG; The Korean Cultural Center, Abuja; Vale FMC Abuja; NET Construct; the Hon Gbenga; the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation; and Etisalat Nigeria.

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2013 WTF-Kyung Hee University

Partnership Taekwondo Training Program Dear Kyung Hee University faculty members, coaches, ladies and gentlemen.

I welcome you to Korea for the WTF-Kyung Hee University Partnership Taekwondo Training Program. I wish to thank you coaches for your precious time off to participate in this coach program.

I also extend my heart-felt appreciation to the Kyung Hee University organizers of this partnership program for bringing together about 80 coaches from around the world.

The partnership program, which dates back to 2005, has attracted about 600 athletes and coaches so far, showing a great popularity among our 205 member national associations.Your presence here shows not only how much we care for each other, but also the deep passion that we all have for the sport of taekwondo.

Since becoming president of the WTF in 2004, I have focused on bringing taekwondo to a level beyond an Olympic sport, thus helping contribute to world peace and the education of youth. One of our goals is to make taekwondo as beloved and widely practiced as possible by any person who chooses to regardless of age, gender, religion and physical condition.

In this regard, I plan to launch a new course for the disabled in this partnership training program, as early as 2014. The WTF is striving hard to include taekwondo on the official program of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. We have recently received good news from the International Paralympic Committee as its governing body recognized the WTF as an IPC-recognized IF. The future of taekwondo depends on you coaches. You are the leaders of the beloved sport of taekwondo and we expect much from you.

We have to continue to evolve to maintain our Olympic status as a core sport after the 2020 Olympic Games. Together we will make it better. I wish to conclude my speech by quoting Marcus Buckingham: “Leaders are fascinated by the future. You are a leader if, and only if, you are restless for change, impatient for progress, and deeply dissatisfied with the status quo.”

“As a leader, you are never satisfied with the present, because in your head you can see a better future, and the friction between ‘what is’ and ‘what could be’ burns you, stirs you up, propels you forward. This is leadership.”

One more quote from Oprah Winfrey : “Follow your passion. Do what you love.”

Thank you.

Dr. Chungwon Choue President, World Taekwondo Federation

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WTF Taekwondo Demonstration Team

2013 WTF World Taekwondo Championships Korea takes men’s, women’s overall titles in Puebla, Mexico

Puebla, Mexico

July 15-21, 2013

Korea showed its supremacy in taekwondo as it took home both the men’s and the women’s overall titles at the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Championships in Puebla, Mexico on July 21, 2013.

The biennial championships took place at the jam-packed 6,000-seat Exhibition Center Puebla, drawing 950 athletes from 134 countries.

The seven-day event attracted great interest from both the international media and the home fans. Tickets for the second and third sessions of the championships were sold out every day during the championships, showing the high popularity of taekwondo in Mexico.

At the previous 2011 World Taekwondo Championships in

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Gyeongju, Korea, Iran grabbed the men’s overall title. It marked the first time that Korea failed to retain the men’s overall title in the history of the biennial World Championships. China won the women’s overall title at the 2009 World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark - the first time in WTF World Championships history that Korea had not won it.

In Puebla in the men’s division, Korea garnered three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal for a total of 60 points, followed by Iran with one gold and two silvers for 48 points.

Host Mexico came next with one gold, two silvers and one bronze for 47 points, followed by Russia with one silver and one bronze for 31 points, and China with one silver for 30 points.

In the women’s category, Korea clinched three gold medals and two silver medals for a total of 61 points, followed by Russia with one gold and one silver for 32 points and France with one gold and two bronzes for 29 points. Cuba came next with one gold and two bronzes for 27 points and Australia with one gold for 22 points.

Korea’s Dae-hoon Lee, the gold medalist in the men’s -63kg,

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was selected as the male Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championships, while Russia’s Olga Ivanova, the gold medalist in the women’s +73kg category, became the female MVP. The Good Fighting Spirit Award went to Cote d’Ivoire, while the Active Participation Prize went to Colombia.

The Best Referee Awards went to Iran’s Shahram Arbadi, the Philippines’ Roland Gayo Campos, Mexico’s Nubia E. Segundo, Belgium’s Abdelhak Chbibi and Great Britain’s Christopher Codling.

Mexico’s Young-in Bang was chosen as the best male team coach, while France’s Myriam

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Baverel was selected as the best female team coach.

The newly created female Fair Play Award went to Italy’s Leonardo Basile and the male Fair Play Award went to Croatia’s Ana Zaninovic.

On the seventh and final day of the World Taekwondo Championships on July 21, Australia’s Carmen Marton earned her country the gold medal in the women’s -62kg division.

With two seconds to go to the final whistle, Marton successfully made a turning kick to the head of Korea’s Hwi-lang Kim to make the score 7-3 for the gold medal.

Marton advanced to the final

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round as she defeated Germany’s Rabia Guelec 7-2 in a semifinal match.

Korean Kim made her way to the final round as she beat Switzerland’s Nina Klaey, the bronze medal winner at the 2013 German Open, 8-4 in a semifinal match.

In the men’s -80kg weight division, Germany’s Tahir Guelec brushed aside a stiff challenge from host Mexico’s Rene Lizarraga to win the final match 8-7 for the gold medal.

The German reached the final round by edging down Russia’s Anton Kotkov in a fourth sudden-death round, while the Mexican made it to the final round as he defeated Spain’s Nicolas Garcia, the silver medal winner at the 2012 London Olympic Games, in a fourth sudden-death round.

Steven Lopez, the gold medalist at the 2005, 2007 and 2009 World Taekwondo Championships, failed to advance to the semifinal round as he lost to Mexico’s Rene Lizarraga 8-5 in a quarterfinal match.

Aaron Cook of the Isle of Man lost to Poland’s Piotr Pazinski 1311 in the round of 32.

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Medal Standings RANK

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COUNTRY

MEN

WOMEN

G

S

B

Tot

G

S

1

1

5

3

2

1

2

1

2

1

4

1

1

2

1

KOR - Korea

3

2

CUB - Cuba

1

3

MEX - Mexico

1

4

RUS - Russia

5

IRI - Iran

6

FRA - France

7

GER - Germany

8

THA - Thailand

9

AUS - Australia

9

GAB - Gabon

11

TPE - Chinese Taipei

1

12

CHN - China

1

12

CRO - Croatia

1

1

TOTAL B

Tot

G

S

B

Tot

5

6

3

1

10

3

2

3

5

1

1

1

3

1

5

1

2

1

2

1

4

1

2

2

3

2 1

1

2

3

1

3

4

2

2

1

2

3

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

1 1

2

3

1

2

1

3

1

1

1

1

2

1

2

1

1

2

1

1 1

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‘The research and ideas presented today are laying an important foundation for taekwondo’s future’

Athlete,” Dr. David Hawkins of the United States, a professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior of the College of Biological Sciences University of California, gave the first keynote.

The second keynote speech was delivered by Mexican Prof. Raul Carrillo under the title “Joint Injury Prevalence due to Structural Instability in Elite Athletes.”

Taekwondo Goes Academic: Study Seminar in Puebla The 4th International Symposium on Taekwondo covered a range of topics Puebla, Mexico

July 16-17, 2013

The 4th International Symposium for Taekwondo Studies opened at the Exhibition Center in Puebla, Mexico on July 16, 2013 for a two-day run on the occasion of the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Championships.

Under the theme “Strengthening Youth Education through Taekwondo,” the symposium attracted about 100 academics and dignitaries from around the world. A total of 40 papers were presented in the symposium.

The first international tae-

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kwondo symposium was held in Beijing, China on the occasion of the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships, with the second and third held in Copenhagen, Denmark and Gyeongju, Korea.

During the opening ceremony, WTF President Dr. Chungwon Choue made an opening address, followed by a congratulatory address by Dr. Charlie Stebbins, chairperson of the Scientific Committee for the 4th International Symposium for Taekwondo Studies.

“As the world’s best taekwondo athletes test their skill and training this week, we are here to expand the world’s academic knowledge of our sport. This symposium’s theme is ‘Strengthening Youth Education through Taekwondo,’ which aims to advance education practices and, through these practices, the lives of all taekwondo practitioners,” Dr. Choue said.

He continued, “The science of taekwondo is still new. Precious little research has been conduct-

ed, but as a burgeoning field of study, your contributions are highly valuable. The research and ideas presented today are laying an important foundation for taekwondo’s future.”

The 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Championships, which kicked off on July 15, lasted until July 21 at the Exhibition Center Puebla.

“This symposium has the potential to foster interest in the health benefits of taekwondo in a global adolescent population that has seen a progressive de-

cline in physical activity and an increase in obesity over several decades,” said Dr. Stebbins in his congratulatory speech.

“There is some evidence that martial arts training can improve essential elements of overall physical fitness, such as muscular-skeletal and cardiovascular fitness, and reduce body adiposity,” he said. “However, these effects are not well established, particularly with regard to taekwondo, and more research into this area needs to be encouraged.”

“Overall these ongoing biennial symposiums provide a conduit for a broad exchange of ideas that can lead to intra-disciplinary collaboration and a more integrated approach to the study of taekwondo as a research field, which is a major goal of the International Association of Taekwondo Research,” he concluded.

Two keynote speeches were made at the symposium. Under the topic “Biomechanics, Training & Injury Prevention: Considerations for the Taekwondo

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2013 WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships Korea grabs the overall title in Bali, Indonesia

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Korea took the first place with seven golds and four silvers in the overall medal tally at the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, which wrapped up on Nov. 3, 2013 in Bali, Indonesia.

At the four-day event, Vietnam followed, clinching three golds, three silvers and five bronzes for the second place, followed by the Philippines with three golds, two silvers and one bronze.

Iran came next as it took home

two golds, four silvers and five bronzes, while the United States earned two golds, one silver and four bronzes for the fifth place.

A total of 21 countries took home at least one medal at the four-day Bali championships.

A total of 439 athletes from 49 countries competed for 25 gold medals up for grabs at the championships. Fifty poomsae international referees officiated at the championships.

Thailand won two golds andfour bronzes, while Spain clinched

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two golds and two bronzes. Canada and Germany came next with one gold, two silvers and one bronze each.

Host Indonesia and Chinese Taipei took one gold, one silver and five bronzes each.

The championships’ male MVP went to Vietnam’s Nguyen Dinh Toan, while Korea’s Su-ji Kang was named the female MVP. The Good Fighting Spirit Award went to Malaysia, while

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New Zealand earned the Active Participation Award.

Vietnam’s Le Minh Khuong and Korea’s Jae-ro Ahn were named best coaches of the championships.

Five international referees were named best referees of the championships. They were Indonesia’s Acen Tanuwijaya, Vietnam’s Huy Thanh Nguyen, Germany’s Noor Muhammad Shirali, Egypt’s Ahmad Saied Ahmed, and Aruba’s Ms. Maria de Lourdes de Veer.

Medal Standings RANK

COUNTRY

MEDAL G

S

B

1

Korea

7

4

0

2

Vietnam

3

3

5

3

Philippines

3

2

1

4

Iran

2

4

5

5

USA

2

1

4

6

Thailand

2

0

4

7

Spain

2

0

2

8

Canada

1

2

1

8

Germany

1

2

1

10

Indonesia

1

1

5

10

Chinese Taipei

1

1

5

12

China

0

2

3

13

Turkey

0

1

4

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WTF 40th Anniversary : Party Night in Bali A welcoming dinner to mark the WTF’s 40th anniversary of founding was held at the Westin Nusa Dua Resort Hotel in Bali, Indonesia on Oct. 30, 2013.

The dinner took place on the eve of the opening of the 8th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.

The event, which featured a traditional Indonesian dance, drew WTF President Chungwon Choue and Marciano Norman, president of the Indonesian Taekwondo Federation; both delivered speeches during the dinner.

The WTF was established on May 28, 1973 and now has a global membership of 206 member national associations.

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2013 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships Mexico takes men’s gold, Korea wins women’s gold in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

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Mexico and Korea took the gold in their respective men’s and women’s divisions at the 2013 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships, which concluded in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Nov. 30, 2013.

In the men’s division, host Cote d’Ivoire won the silver, while Korea and Russia shared the bronze. In the women’s category, China clinched the silver and Cote d’Ivoire and France grabbed the bronze.

The three-day event, which was officiated by 82 international referees, drew a total of 150 athletes from 15 countries.

The championships, which took place at the Palais des Sports in Abidjan, featured octagonal mats for the first time at a WTF-promoted event. There were also taekwondo performances by the Kukkiwon Tae-

kwondo Demonstration Team.

Home fans and those watching online were treated to an excellent standard of taekwondo on an enthralling and tense climatic third and final day.

In the first of the day’s men’s quarterfinals, Mexico overcame a spirited display from Brazil, winning the match 24-21. Korea booked their place in the semifi nals shortly after, defeating the United States 17-11.

In the other two quarterfinals, Russia beat Senegal 39-9 to continue their unbeaten record at the championships and host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, managed to overcome China 17-15, in an extremely tense match.

Up next were the women’s semifinal matches between Korea and France, and Cote d’Ivoire and China. Korea maintained their 100 percent record and de-

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Medal Standings Medal Country (Male)

feated France 17-13. China then took on Cote d’Ivoire and after an excellently contested match, came away with the win and a place in the final thanks to a 17-9 victory.

Fans had to wait until the afternoon to find out which teams would be awarded the gold medals as athletes were given a break ahead of the men’s semifinals and final and women’s final.

After the break, Mexico took to the mat against Korea for the first men’s semifinal. There was very little between the two sides, but Mexico just edged it,

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winning 9-8. Russia took on Cote d’Ivoire in the second semifinal, but with the crowd spurring them on, Cote d’Ivoire won the match 17-16, much to the delight of the home fans.

The women’s final was up first with an unbeaten Korean team taking on China. The atmosphere was electric but despite a valiant effort from China the Korean side was too strong and won the match 12-9 to take the gold medal, leaving China with silver. Cote d’Ivore and France claimed joint bronze.

Country (Female)

G

Mexico

Korea

S

Cote d’Ivoire

China

B

Korea

Cote d’Ivoire

B

Russia

France

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2nd Asia-Europe Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships Asia beats Europe, 7-5 in Shenzhen, China Shenzhen, China

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Asia beat Europe 7-5 on aggregated points at the 2nd Asia-Europe Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships in Shenzhen, China on Nov. 17, 2013 to defend its overall title.

Asia went into the one-day intercontinental championships, which took place at the Shen Zhen Sports School, as reigning champions having defeated Europe 13-3 at the inaugural Europe-Asia Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships in Moscow, Russia last year.

This year’s championships featured eight individual and six team competitions.

The eight individual Olympic-weight matches, consisting of four male and four female matches, were held in the morning with one point awarded to the continent for each individual victory.

In the women’s -49kg category, China’s Song Yaoye defeated Greece’s Ioanna Koutsou 4-0 to earn the Asia Taekwondo Union one point. In the men’s -58kg

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2nd Asia-Europe Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships

division, Chinese Taipei’s Wang Ping Shun edged Italy’s Gemma Domenico to a 4-2 victory to give Asia another point.

In the women’s -57kg category, Chinese Taipei’s Tseng Li Cheng beat Thailand’s Autayananon Montawan 5-0 to win the division and in the men’s -68kg division Russia’s Viacheslav Minin secured one point for the European Taekwondo Union (ETU) by defeating Jordan’s Mohammad Zunier Abulibdeh 10-0.

Chinese Taipei’s Chia Chia Chuang beat China’s Zhang Jing 4-0 to take the victory in the women’s -67kg category while Russia’s Sergey Dozortsev came through a stiff challenge from Jordan’s Talal Hassan Nabil to win the match 3-2 and take the men’s -80kg division.

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In the women’s +67kg category, Chinese Taipei’s Chia Hwi Peng won the match as Europe’s Gwladys Epangue failed to appear and in the men’s +80kg division, Italy’s Basile Leonardo beat China’s Ji Shengping 7-2 to earn the ETU another point.

In the afternoon, six team competitions took place. The team competition was conducted in a 5-on-5 tag-team match format with each of the men‘s and women’s teams limited to a combined weight of 360kg and 305kg, respectively.

The team competition was composed of two five-minute rounds with a one-minute break.

In the first five-minute round, each of the five athletes fought for one minute while the second round was a tag-team match in

which athletes could be replaced at any time after making three attacks.

In the opening team match between the European men’s team and the Asian men’s Team B, the five-member Asian squad won the match 26-16.

In the following match between the European-Asian men’s team and the Asian men’s Team A, the two teams were tied at 8-8.

The Asian men’s Team A secured two points for their continent as they beat the European-Asian men’s team 7-6 and the European men’s team 11-10.

The match between the European-Asian women’s team and

the Asian women’s team failed to find a winner as the two teams were even with 20 points each after two rounds of competition.

In the men’s final team match, the Asian squad defeated the European team 25-22 to earn Asia their fourth point of the tag team competition and win the championships 7-5 after the European team only managed to win two points in the team competitions.

Around 250 young Chinese taekwondo students watched the championships, demonstrating the popularity of the sport in China.

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2013 World Combat Games Iran, China clinch men’s, women’s titles in taekwondo team competition in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Russia

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Iran and China took home their respective men’s and women’s title in the taekwondo team competition of the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games in St. Petersburg, Russia on Oct. 24, 2013.

Host Russia earned bronze medals in both the men’s and women’s team competitions.

In the men’s tag team final match, the Iranian team beat the United States 17-12 to grab the gold medal.

The two-day taekwondo competition, which took place at the Spartak Arena Sport Complex, drew a total of 72 athletes, 48 females and 24 females, from 11 countries.

Iran advanced to the final round as it edged down Spain 6-5 in a semifinal match. Iran, which fielded a total of six athletes, including a substitute, for the fiveon-five tag-team matches, won three preliminary round-robin team matches on Oct. 23.

In the men’s team bronze-medal contest, host Russia overcame a stern challenge from Spain to edge down Spain 13-12 for the bronze medal.

A total of eight countries, host Russia, Korea, Iran, Spain, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Uzbekistan and Venezuela, sent their respective male taekwondo teams to the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games, the second of its kind after the inaugural edition in 2010 in Beijing, China.

In the women’s team final match, the Chinese team was ahead 2-1 at the end of the first round and maintained its lead in the second round to defeat France 12-8 for the top honors.

The Chinese squad, which grabbed three victories in the preliminary round, was composed of six athletes, including Jingyu Wu, the gold medal winner in the women’s -49kg category at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The other athletes were Yunfei Guo, Yushuo Hou, Chen Li, Yun Wang and Hua Zhang.

In the women’s team bronze-medal contest, host Russia required a golden-point round to clinch the bronze medal against Croatia. The two teams tied at 4-4 after two rounds of competition.

A total of four countries, host Russia, China, France and Croatia, competed for top honors in the women’s division.

An electronic protector and scoring system was used at the taekwondo competition.

The tag team match consisted of two five-minute rounds with a one-minute break. The first round was conducted in a traditional team format, under which each of the five athletes has to compete in order from the lighter to heavier weight. The second five-minute round is conducted in a tag-team match, in which athletes can be replaced any time after a minimum of three attacks.

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Election Time Chungwon Choue takes on fourth term at helm of WTF

Dr. Chungwon Choue was reelected by the WTF to serve his fourth term at the federation’s helm in Puebla, Mexico on July 14, 2013.

At the federation’s General Assembly, which took place on the sidelines of the World Taekwondo Championships in Mexico, the WTF retained Choue as president for another four-year term.

Choue first took on the WTF headship as interim president in 2004, when then-president Un-yong Kim stepped down with one year left of his term. Choue was reelected in 2005 and again in 2009.

No balloting was necessary in Puebla as Choue was the sole runner, but Choue nevertheless asked delegates to cast votes. “I ask you to confirm me to remain in this position,” Choue said. “Our organization has grown too great to expect anything less.”

The only other candidate dropped out of the running days previously.

In addition to the president, 14 Council members were also elected from five continents. Eleven were reconfirmed to serve their four-year terms, while three new members joined: one each from Korea, Jordan and Mexico.

During his tenure, Choue, who was an academic leader at Kyung Hee University in Korea before coming to the WTF, has been credited with bringing positive changes that helped shed taekwondo’s image as a dull

viewer sport.

Ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, the WTF adopted the use of electronic protective armor and socks for scoring, along with instant video replays. These moves drew favorable reviews and eliminated judging disputes, thus helping taekwondo remain as one of the 25 core sports of the 2020 Olympics.

July 14, 2013

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Around the WTF

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WTF Council Members (2013-2017) President

Members Chungwon Choue (Korea)

AFTU

Aicha Garard Ali (Djibouti)

Driss El-Hilali (Morocco)

Issaka Ide (Niger)

Mohamed A.K. Al-Sulaiti (Qatar)

Kyu-Seok Lee (Korea)

Dae-Sung Moon (Korea)

Milan Kwee (Singapore)

Metin Sahin (Turkey)

Michel Madar (Israel)

Jesus Castellanos Pueblas (Spain)

Roger Piarullli (France)

ATU

Vice Presidents

Honorary Vice Presidents

Carine Lahoud (Lebanon)

Ivan Dibos (Peru)

Sun-Jae Park (Italy)

Ahmed Mohammed Fouly (Egypt)

Kamaladdin Heydarov (Azerbaijan)

Phillip Walter Coles (Australia)

Dai-Soon Lee (Korea)

Pimol Srivikorn (Thailand)

Kook-Hyun Jung (Korea)

Anatloy K. Terekhov (Russia)

Sarah Stevenson (UK)

OTU

Auditors

Tae-Kyung Kim (New Zealand)

Dalibor Krpan (Croatia)

Hazem Ahmad Awwad Naimat (Jordan)

ETU

Secretary General Athanasios Pragalos (Greece) / Ex-Officio Member

PATU Jean-Marie Ayer (Switzerland)

Ji-Ho Choi (USA) / Ex-Officio Member 126

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Maria Rosario Borello Castillo (Guatemala)

Dai-Won Moon (Mexico)

Juan Manuel Lopez Delgado (Mexico)

Anthony Ferguson (Trinidad & Tobago)

Ali Sagirkaya (Turkey)

Around the WTF

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Interview with new Council member

Anthony Ferguson (Trinidad & Tobago)

From Tragedy to Taekwondo

Anthony Ferguson has saved lives and swum with sharks, but it was the death of a friend that led him to the dojang

How did you feel when you first became a WTF council member?

When it was first suggested, I was shocked.

The point is, this was not something I pursued. In fact, anytime I am asked to fulfil a role within the WTF, I am surprised but happy. So when this came, it was pure elation and joy. Then those feelings quickly transitioned to a sense of deep responsibility for the art/sport.

What is your main goal and priority for 2014 as a WTF council member?

As it is, I am still on a learning curve. My wish is to contribute toward the harmonization of efforts between the world body, the regional bodies and the MNAs. My plan is also to work with Council members so that we may convince the organizers of the Commonwealth Games of the wisdom of including taekwondo in the upcoming games’ schedule.

Would you tell us your taekwondo story?

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, I loved football, cricket and anything that had to do with the sea. With the latter, I had most of the experiences you could imagine from answering its daily call: I almost drowned several times, then when I learned to swim, I saved others (including a cousin twice) from drowning. I drifted away with a friend and neighbor on a raft and was found at sea by the local rescue squad. Then, one day while

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swimming about a half mile out at sea, I encountered a shark. Panicking and about to meet a fate too ghastly to contemplate, the shark demonstrated kindness, making it possible for me to re-tell the events.

Then a life altering tragedy took place.

A very close friend of mine was murdered in the Caribbean. It left me devastated. At the time, I was teaching at Howard University in Washington D.C. I could not function.

Then I shared my emotions with an office colleague, Jesse Tippett. I told him I needed to do something to get out of this state. He suggested that I join taekwondo. I told him that I was not interested. He was a second dan at the time at the Howard University Club, set up by Dr. Dong-ja Yang. Tippett kept insisting, and simply out of courtesy, I relented and went.

The only good thing about that experience was that I went on a Friday. On the Saturday, I simply could not get out of bed! I discovered that I had muscles in places I never knew. On the Sunday, same thing, but, slightly better. On the Monday, a little better, but with the same pain. I went to my classes, then back to the dojang for more punishment. I had found my calling and the rest, as they say, is history. I do not usually share this tragedy. I do so now only because of my position on the Council. It forms part of my complete story and I believe that some aspiring taekwondo people in some part of the world may find in it some value to help them conquer their own difficulties.

I have since served in a variety of capacities: athlete; president of the Taekwondo Association of Washington, D.C.; special advisor to PATU President, Dr. Dong-ja Yang; national coach of Trinidad and Tobago; secretary and vice president of the TTTA and

vice president of PATU. Currently I serve as president of the TTTA; vice president of the Commonwealth Taekwondo Union and member of the WTF Council.

How popular is Taekwondo in your country?

Taekwondo has become very popular in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly among youth. Countries like ours find difficulty in fielding athletes outside of track and field in multi-sport games, including the Olympics.

Since taekwondo’s introduction by Master Jin-young Jung in 1983 (the same year I started the art), we have fielded and consistently won medals at Central American and Caribbean Games; Pan-American Games; and have twice fielded athletes at the Olym-

pics. The biggest challenge, as it is for many, remains one of funding.

Do you have any recommendations?

Recommendations of a specific nature I re-

serve for the sanctity of our Council. I first have to convince my colleagues there that a proposal is a good (or bad) policy. Understanding that I do not have the monopoly on knowledge, I appreciate that they may see angles that I do not. So my first responsibility is to float it with them. However I will say this. The WTF, through its various programs, has started to build intellectual capacity with the various programs we run with Kyung Hee University. Also, the studied attention to referee development, along with the introduction of technology

through the PSS and video replay system, are going a long way toward meeting the goal of athlete satisfaction.

The WTF celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013. What is your overall evaluation of the WTF activities so far?

When one considers that the WTF was founded only in 1973…well! The only word to describe the phenomenal achievements is spectacular. That we continue to revolutionize the sport with technology even as we search for new opportunities is remarkable.

I believe we are providing a template which others are certain to follow.

Do you have anything to add?

Well briefly, three points.

First: Funding at all levels: national, regional and international. A simple look at our achievements, our possibilities, will tell funding and business organizations that there is real value for money when they invest in the building stage of the sport’s development, rather than only at the post-medal stage. Simply put: More help is needed.

Second: One aspect of our achievements that does not find enough exposure is the “spread of medals” among countries at multi-sport games. We have one of the best distributions in the world. The motherland of taekwondo is Korea. They birthed it.

But the medal spread, while being important for Olympic retention, also proves that their gift to the world has been humbly and graciously received. Of this, Korea can be proud.

Third: I look forward to the Kukkiwon settling down, because their constant changes cannot be good for taekwondo.

Around the WTF

129

Interview with new Council member

Pimol Srivikorn (Thailand)

Term Two

Thailand’s Pimol Srivikorn started his second term as a WTF Council member. We asked him his thoughts on his appointment

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How did you feel when you became a WTF Council Member?

This is my second term as a WTF Council member. I felt very privileged when the President, Dr. Chungwon Choue, appointed me.

What are your main goals and priorities for 2014?

As a member of the WTF Council, I pledge myself to serve the WTF in my best capacity.

I leave it to the president to designate whatever task he wants me to fulfill.

Tell us your taekwondo story…

My taekwondo story is an unusual one, because I am not a taekwondo man, unlike all others who at some point in their lives were! My background is politics and business. I was a member of parliament of Thailand and I own hotels and other businesses.

I never practiced taekwondo! I was invited to become secretary general by a friend who was president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand at the time. I accepted. Over time, I came to love the sport, the beauty, the excitement as well as the philosophy of it. Also, I came to love people in the sport – the executives of the WTF and continental unions. So, after I was elected president, I never left! After each of my terms ended, I ran again and got re-elected again and again. Now, it has been 12 years.

How popular is taekwondo in your country?

Prior to my participation in the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, it was not popular at all. Two years after I took the helm of our association, we won a bronze medal in the Athens Olympic Games. Then the popularity increased significantly. Now it is one of the five most popular sports in Thailand, I believe. There are more or less 1 million taekwondo practitioners in Thailand.

Do you have recommendations for the development of taekwondo and the WTF? We need to focus more on the audience. We need to have more people understand taekwondo and watch taekwondo around the world. This means we need to get on channels like Star Sports and ESPN.

The WTF recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding. What is your evaluation of its activities?

Great. Under the leadership of President Choue, the organization is developing the sport in a positive way, in the right direction. More people around the world are now practicing taekwondo. The WTF is a strong international body supporting and promoting taekwondo.

Taekwondo was voted one of the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games. What did you think of that?

Relieved! There were many rumors and concerns that it might have been voted out. I was worried even though I did not think it was likely. When I heard that it was voted in, I felt relieved - and happy, of course. It was a collective effort of all people involved, however, much credit must be given to the leadership of President Chungwon Choue who worked very hard on this issue. Now, people around the globe will be able to enjoy taekwondo as an Olympic event for many years to come.

Around the WTF

131

Interview with new Council member

Sarah Stevenson (Great Britain)

Training Hard, Living Hard, Enjoying the Ride and Still Smiling

British international Sarah Stevenson has been athlete and coach. Her latest challenge? Entering the WTF’s administrative ranks

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How did you feel when you became a new WTF Council member?

I was extremely shocked and overwhelmed at first. Being a Council member is something that is so different to what I’m used to. I was a top-level athlete and now a coach and to be a Council member I suppose you could say it’s a “hat trick.” Overall, a huge opportunity and honor.

What are your main goals and priorities for 2014 as a WTF Council member?

First and foremost, I would like to familiarize myself with my fellow Council members and our president Dr Chungwon Choue, in order to form strong working relationships.

The WTF has achieved great success in recent years and I want to show my support for all the initiatives that we are currently working on. Lastly, as the athlete member of the Council, I feel I have got great experience and knowledge from both an athletic and coaching perspective and I am keen to use this to continually raise our sport’s profile, and the future development of the WTF.

How popular is taekwondo in your country?

As I guess is the case in most countries, taekwondo has grown in popularity since it became an Olympic sport in Sydney 2000.

Currently in British taekwondo, we have a record number of participants practicing and competing and I believe the success Great Britain has had in the last two Olympic Games has impacted this hugely. Myself, Jade Jones and Lutalo Muhammed are now role models and inspirations to the younger generation of taekwondo athletes in Great Britain. Children can see and believe it is possible to achieve if others have achieved success before them.

Do you have any recommendations for the further development of taekwondo and the WTF? I would like to see the expansion of the marketing and publicity of our sport, this could have a real impact on attracting media and sponsors to our beautiful game, but it would also enhance the growth of our sport globally.

Taekwondo was voted one of the 25 core sports of the 2020 Olympic Games.

What was your opinion on this?

For us, the taekwondo family, the Olympics are the principal arena for our sport and only a handful of us are privileged to be there. The WTF have obviously proven by their initiatives and activities so far, and obviously delivered, every time, a successful and well-run Olympic Games. We well and truly deserve to be in the 2020 Olympics and beyond. Personally it makes me proud to be in such an exclusive “family” and such a highly exciting sport. I have competed in every Olympics since taekwondo became recognized and I intend to be present in some capacity at all future games.

Do you have anything else to say?

I would like to say to everyone out there that has a dream and a goal to be successful in taekwondo: “Train hard. Live hard. Enjoy the ride. And smile!”

The WTF celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding in 2013. What is your overall evaluation of WTF activities so far?

The WTF has done a fantastic job in achieving Olympic status and has done an exceptional job in cementing the sport’s position in the Olympic program. The impressive progress the WTF has made demonstrates that they are clearly focused on a proactive development program which will take the sport to even greater popularity in the future and I am proud to have contributed to the sport’s success.

Around the WTF

133

‘Taekwondo Evangelist’ Steps Down Legendary taekwondo figure Dai-soon Lee pledges to stay involved after a lifetime teaching and promoting the sport

‘Though I step back from active service, I will continue to make taekwondo my life until my last moment’ Dai-soon Lee Dai-soon Lee, 83, one of the most respected figures in taekwondo’s history, has stepped down from his official positions in the WTF, but will continue to serve the federation in an honorary capacity.

Known as the “Taekwondo Evangelist” for his continuous efforts on the sport’s behalf, Lee was president of the Asian Taekwondo Union from 1999 to 2013, when he handed over that role to Prof. Kyu-seok Lee. He also served as the first president of the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, which oversees the construction and operation of the sport’s stunning new complex, the Taekwondowon in Muju, Korea, which officially opens in April of this year. He has been a vice president of the WTF since 2000 and, 134

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in recognition of his huge experience in the sport and long service to it, he was named honorary vice president in 2013.

Lee also served as Korea’s minister of communication.

While he may be stepping down from official duties, his voice will continue to be heard in taekwondo, he says, until he draws his last breath.

“What has made me serve the taekwondo community for such a long time is my family and God’s will,” said Lee. “Though I step back from active service, I will continue to make taekwondo my life until my last moment.”

Around the WTF

135

High-altitude Taekwondo

Master Phurba Dorji briefs us on the spread of taekwondo in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan

Country Report Bhutan

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I started taekwondo in 1985 under the guidance of Master Y. Tharchen, founder of taekwondo in Bhutan and the present secretary general of the Bhutan Taekwondo Federation. After I gained my first dan, I was sent to Chhukha in southern Bhutan, by the Bhutan Taekwondo Federation, to open a new dojang. At that time, there were no taekwondo practitioners there; the sport was very new to the public. I introduced taekwondo to students and to the general public, and conducted demonstrations during Bhutan’s National Day on Dec 17. Within a few years, the numbers of taekwondo practitioners in my dojang increased tremendously and I started conducting inter-school taekwondo competitions among five schools in the southern province.

Today, under my supervision, I have more than 850 young learners of taekwondo from different schools. Some of the members have graduated with dan and poom certificates awarded by the Kukkiwon.

Taekwondo has spread among schools, universities and colleges in the southern province The annual Inter-School Taekwondo Competition, National Level Championships and Inter Dzongkhag (District) Level Championships are also held once every year. Some of the championships are sponsored and supported by the BTF and some championships are organized through sponsorships and donations.

During the championships, the players with the most potential are recognized and called for national team selection, which is held in Thimphu every year.

Taekwondo is a well-rounded exercise program that encompasses muscle toning, stretching and flexibility. It increases strength and stamina through aerobic sparring, and presents a mental challenge through becoming proficient at patterns or forms.

Most classes start with warm-ups. These exercises are calisthenics such as push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, trunk rotations, squat kicks and various leg stretches. For certain, you will tighten your abs and strengthen your arms just from performing the warm-up exercises.

Before you know it, you’ll be doing 50 knuckle or triangle push-ups at rapid-fire pace and will be able to lean up against a wall and have someone lift your leg up so that your toes touch the wall behind your ear. Taekwondo definitely helps people become healthy and fit.

Taekwondo is also an Olympic sport. Many people enjoy taekwondo, because it is an all-inclusive exercise program. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it’s an excellent way of life to get into, or to stay in shape. Everyone starts out as a white belt. Have fun and get moving!

By Master Phurba Dorji Sixth Dan Black Belt (Bhutan Taekwondo Federation) 2nd Class International Referee (WTF)

Around the WTF

137

Kazakh Heroes

Two men have been behind the development of taekwondo in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

This is their story...

Country Report KAZAKHSTAN

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Taekwondo officially came to Kazakhstan in 1991, during a period in which the young country was just starting to walk its own path.

The two great people who were behind the sport’s introduction were famous far beyond Kazakhstan’s borders: Mustafa Ozturk and Bekseit Tulkiev.

There is much to say about Mustafa Ozturk. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1954 to a family of Kazakh immigrants. In 1975 he entered the International University of Politics in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, and graduated in 1980 with the qualification of journalist/ expert on international affairs.

But his main legacy is in the taekwondo field. Mustafa Ozturk won six World C hampionships and a seventh dan black belt. Thanks to his effective fighting skills, Mustafa was offered film roles in martial arts movies, playing in more than than 60.

And he generously shared his mastery of the sport. When Mustafa Ozturk moved to Germany to work, he opened the “Mustafa” taekwondo school in Munich - a branch of the same school in Istanbul.

Sportsmen from these schools have shown themselves great competitors during international matches.

In 1990 the actor, sportsman and teacher came back to his historical motherland - Kazakhstan. A year later he founded the Taekwondo Federation of Kazakhstan and popularized the martial art all Around the WTF

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Country Report

KAZAKHSTAN

over the country. In 1992, Mustafa became a citizen of Kazakhstan and in 1993, oversaw the inclusion of the Kazakhstan Federation into the WTF. In 1995, he died suddenly.

The first president of the federation was another distinguished son of the Kazakh nation: Bekseit Tulkiev. He started practicing taekwondo when the martial art was forbidden in the USSR. He was friends with Mustafa Ozturk, and managed to steer the initial impulses regarding creating a federation in the right direction. In 1995, at the 7th World Military Championships, Kazakhstan taekwondo players took the second team place after Korea, winning one silver and two bronze medals.

But Bekseit Tulkiev also left this world early: He died tragically in 1995 - the same year as Mustafa.

However by then, the sport was established. A seventh dan,

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Shamsat Zhaksylykovich Isabekov, picked up the baton. He is also a member of the National Olympic Committee. Thanks to his efforts, as well as the cooperation of training staff, in 2008 at the Beijing Olympiad, the federation received its first prize in the biggest event of the sporting world: A bronze medal won by Arman Chilmanov.

In November 2013, the federation elected a new president, Kim Vyacheslav Konstantinovich.

The federation today hopes for new victories in various tournaments and competitions. Nowadays, in Kazakhstan more than 20,000 people are involved in taekwondo and this number is increasing. This means the chances of further victories are increasing, too – a bright future that the sport’s founders in Kakakhstan would like to have seen.

Around the WTF

141

The Rise and Rise of a Taekwondo Power Taekwondo has seen its popularity explode in Iran. Here is how it happened

Country Report IRAN

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Iran’s first introduction to taekwondo was in the early 1970s when the Islamic country’s military and police started practicing the Korean martial art. In 1975, Iran became a member of the World Taekwondo Federation.

Today, with a taekwondo population of about 2 million and about 5,000 taekwondo gyms, Iran is one of the top global taekwondo powers.

The country has so far taken home eight Olympic medals, including two golds, as well as 164 medals at the World Taekwondo Championships. In recent years, Iran has overtaken Korea to clinch the men’s overall titles at major taekwondo championships. At the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships in Gyeongju, Korea, Iran won three gold medals, one silver and two bronzes for the overall men’s title. Korea came next with two golds and two silvers.

Behind the remarkable development of taekwondo in Iran are Korean Grandmaster Shin-chul Kang and Seyed Mohammad Pouladgar, president of the Iran Taekwondo Federation.

There were a mere 30,000 taekwondo practitioners in Iran in 1985 when Master Kang first came to the Islamic country as an instructor.

Kang served as the head coach of the Iranian national team from 1985 to 1995. Since 1996, Kang, a ninth dan black-belt holder, has worked as chairman of the Iranian Technical Committee. From 2006, Around the WTF

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COUNTRY REPORT IRAN he has also served as the head coach of the Iranian National Poomsae Team.

“In June this year we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Grandmaster Kang’s arrival in Iran,” said Pouladgar, who has served as president of the Iran Taekwondo Federation since 2001. In January this year, Pouladgar was re-elected to the four-year post for the fourth time.

Pouladgar, who started taekwondo at the age of 16 and holds a seventh dan rank from the Kukkiwon, said that he is placing top priority on the technical advancements of Iranian athletes in order to ensure good results at the next Olympics.

“The more medals we win at the Olympic Games means the more power and support we win from our government,” he said. “To attain this goal, we will strengthen our education for athletes.”

In cooperation with the WTF, Iran established the World Taekwondo Center in Tehran in May 2010, which serves as a WTF-designated Regional Training Center. Built on a 724 sq.-meter area, the four-floor center is equipped with a hotel, a gym, a training room with four courts, and a medical clinic.

“The purpose of the center is to help enhance taekwondo skills in Iran and nearby countries,” said Pouladgar, a member of the six-member Executive Board of the Iranian Olympic Committee. He worked as a WTF Council member until 2013.

In 2010, Iran opened a two-year taekwondo university next to the World Taekwondo Center. The university is made up of five classes, and various departments for management, education and research and cultural affairs. The first commencement ceremony of the university, which was changed into a four-year school starting this year, was held in June 2012; 35 students graduated. After five years of operation, 410 students have been trained at the university, with 150 of them winning associated degrees and 70 studying for bachelor degrees. For the first semester of 2014, 70 students have been admitted.

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Around the WTF

145

8 EUROPE

27 ASIA

Country Chinese Taipei

Hong Kong

Name / Gender

Pro Date

Birth Date

Croatia

021-0952

Miroslav Brezan / M

2011/12/31

1951/02/12

France

013-0623

Benjamin John / M

2008/12/31

1953/03/31

WTF S-Class International Kyorugi Referees

Germany

013-0640

Baek Jin Kun / M

2008/06/30

1947/08/24

Italy

008-1034

Tricoli Lorenzo / M

2000/12/31

1951/10/05

Netherlands

001-0170

Seo Myung Soo / M

1998/12/31

1939/12/05

Russia

030-0002

Sergey A.Danilov / M

2010/12/31

1951/06/09

(as of Feb. 28, 2014)

Sweden

029-0134

Chakir Chelbat / M

2011/12/31

1964/08/28

Turkey

013-0632

Galip Ziya Yalginkaya / M

2009/12/31

1950/06/27

IR Number 010-0568

Name / Gender Sung Kuang Sen / M

Pro Date 2000/12/31

Birth Date 1946/04/27

010-0570

Mao Kee Lung / M

2004/06/30

1951/03/10

010-0560

Kim Sa Ok / M

2002/12/31

1944/04/24

19 PAN-AM

Country

IR Number

Name / Gender

Pro Date

Birth Date

Argentina

015-0712

Maria Andrea Mancuso / F

2012/12/31

1965/12/04

Canada

001-0162

Lee Byung Kyu / M

1994/09/10

1944/10/25

008-0572

Ken Wai-Kin Cheung / M

2002/12/31

1950/07/03

015-0684

Yu Myung Ok / M

2007/06/30

1952/08/21

029-0045

Linda Kwan / F

2012/12/31

1960/03/23

Charles Mok Hung Fai / M

2002/06/30

1948/10/09

024-0987

Moon Myoung Gon / M

2010/06/30

1957/02/05

Costa Rica

020-0938

Nelson Brizuela Cortes / M

2011/12/31

1953/05/26

018-0852

Acen Tanuwijaya / M

2011/12/31

1944/08/23

Mexico

012-1061

Sergio Chavez / M

2005/12/31

1955/09/08

018-2053

Herman Andikara / M

2012/12/31

1954/12/24

015-0703

Rafael Jesus Ruelas Reyes / M

2010/06/30

1952/09/25

Iran

025-0002

Mojtaba Nazmdeh / M

2010/12/31

1957/03/23

Panama

013-0604

Varo Barragan / M

2006/08/02

1955/09/24

Korea

001-0154

Moon Chang Nam / M

1994/09/10

1942/05/26

U.S.A.

001-0175

Lee Young Keun / M

1994/09/10

1939/06/17

001-0155

Hong Jeong Boo / M

1994/09/10

1943/03/03

002-0281

Kim Young Sam / M

2000/12/31

1942/11/25

002-0070

Kang Sun Jang / M

2003/06/30

1947/01/15

002-0069

Lee Eui Bin / M

2000/12/31

1941/05/03

002-0083

Kim Kang Ein / M

2001/12/31

1948/07/18

002-0072

Park In Kon / M

2006/06/30

1945/04/04

002-0086

Lee Sang Hyun / M

2003/12/31

1942/03/05

002-0100

Kim Dong Sup / M

2000/12/31

1943/02/03

002-0088

Lee Kyu Hyung / M

2000/12/31

1945/09/01

005-0225

Kim Koang Woong / M

1996/01/01

1937/07/10

002-0118

Kim Ki Yong / M

2002/06/30

1948/03/15

013-0625

Gregory S. Kailian / M

2010/06/30

1946/05/23

002-0282

Park Hyun Sup / M

1998/06/30

1946/03/02

019-0861

Bruce C.K.W. Harris / M

2000/12/31

1951/05/11

016-0737

Oh Soo Gon / M

2008/12/31

1956/01/12

019-0866

Leon T. Preston / M

2012/12/31

1947/02/18

016-0750

Chang Myeong Soo / M

2009/12/31

1959/09/15

019-2059

William Sullivan / M

2011/12/31

1950/06/13

016-0752

Han Sang Jin / M

2008/06/30

1954/09/14

016-0753

Choi Jung Ho / M

2000/12/31

1954/09/22

016-0766

Kim Kil Lae / M

2008/06/30

1943/08/20

025-0004

Kim Hwa Ryong / M

2012/12/31

1949/03/24

015-0687

Kalanayagam A.R. Nadarajan/ M

2008/12/31

1949/12/19

015-0692

Tai Loke Woon / M

2008/12/31

1961/02/06

Nepal

015-0685

Deep Raj Gurung / M

2010/12/31

1959/09/15

Saudi Arabia

025-0107

Abubakr A.K. Kordi / M

2013/12/31

1962/07/07

Singapore

006-0594

Teong Chin Lim / M

2001/06/30

1948/02/14

Malaysia

TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

IR Number

006-0257

Indonesia

146

Country

4 AFRICA

Country Egypt Libya

2 OCEANIA

Country

Name / Gender

Pro Date

018-0848

Jeong Ki Young / M

2006/12/31

1946/06/08

018-1082

Mohamed Riad Ibrahim / M

2010/12/31

1955/10/26

013-0634

Kim Yong Kwang / M

2007/06/30

1948/04/23

013-0633

Snosy A. Mohamed / M

2009/06/30

1953/05/08

IR Number

IR Number

Name / Gender

Pro Date

Birth Date

Birth Date

Australia

029-0123

Samuel Michael Loiacono / M

2010/12/31

1952/12/10

New Zealand

020-0939

Stephen Liu / M

2011/12/31

1957/12/13

Around the WTF

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WTF Best Referee Award Recipients List 17th (12th Women’s) World Taekwondo Championships

Name (Gender)

IR Number

Nationality

No

Name (Gender)

IR Number

Nationality

1

Thekla Breitenfeld (F)

030-0014

Germany

1

Mohammed Argoubi (M)

038-0216

Netherland

2

Linda Kwan (F)

029-0045

Canada

2

David Coupar (M)

030-0006

Denmark

3

Chakir Chelbat (M)

029-0134

Sweden

3

Carmen Chiu (F)

046-0004

Macau

8th World Junior Taekwondo Championships

4

Jose Molero Lopez (M)

025-0110

Spain

4

Soo Hyeon Park (F)

038-0104

Korea

Madrid, Spain April 13~17/2005

5

Uwe Otterbein (M)

033-0029

Cuba

5

Jose Eduardo Cornelio (M)

038-0163

Aruba

6

Zhao Lei (M)

034-0195

China

Tijuana, Mexico March 6~9/2010

6th World Junior Taekwondo Championships

1

Chen Chun-Feng (F)

029-0098

Chinese-Taipei

1

Si Liang (M)

046-0046

China

2

Nazmdeh Mojtaba (M)

025-0002

Iran

2

Julie Dib (F)

046-0012

Lebanon

2010 World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships

3

Myung Ok Yu (M)

029-0045

Canada

3

Mohammed Bin Ishaq (M)

025-0211

U.A.E

Hochiminh City, Vietnam July 26~30/2006

4

Thomas Klaey (M)

038-0024

Switzerland

5

Benali Youssef (M)

028-0001

Morocco

1st World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships

1

Jessica B. Stenholm (F)

025-0020

Norway

1

Jose Luis Gonzalo Morales (M)

048-0062

Spain

2

Tung Ya Ling (F)

034-0141

Chinese-Taipei

2

Abubakr Kordi (M)

025-0107

Saudi Arabia

Urumqi, China July 17~20/2010

3

Khim Hua Seng (M)

029-0042

Australia

3

Neydis Tavarez (F)

050-0024

Puerto Rico

Bangkok, Thailand Sept. 14~18/2006

4

Dong Jun Sin (M)

045-0338

Japan

4

Young Hwan Choi (M)

038-0075

Korea

5

Vladimir Sheyka (M)

044-0001

Russia

5

Stephen Liu (M)

020-0939

New Zealand

18th (13th Women’s) World Taekwondo Championships

1

Ian Leafe (M)

025-0102

Great Britain

1

Kwang-cheol Oh (M)

046-0057

Azerbaijan

2

Carmen Navarro Ingles (F)

038-0226

Spain

2

Stig Ove Ness (M)

046-0049

Norway

3

Soo Gon Oh (M)

016-0737

Korea

3

Jorge Reynoso Cruz (M)

033-0002

Mexico

Beijing, China May 18~22/2007

4

Nelson Brizuela Cortes (M)

020-0938

Costa Rica

4

Vu Xuan Thanh (M)

034-0179

Vietnam

5

Mohamed Hosni Ahmed (M)

038-0020

Egypt

5

Maria Merkouri (F)

042-0012

Georgia

7th World Junior Taekwondo Championships

1

Joseph Elias Khoury (M)

038-0046

Lebanon

1

Jorge Reynoso Cruz (M)

033-0002

Mexico

2

Denis Odjo (M)

035-0031

France

2

Mokake Moshoeshoe (M)

051-0013

Lesotho

3

John Lee Holloway (M)

019-0865

U.S.A

3

Renata Crkvenac (F)

048-0072

Croatia

Izmir, Turkey May 7~11/2008

4

Ahmed Hassan El Mofty (M)

046-0075

Egypt

5

Rene Raymond Leveaux (M)

034-0172

Australia

2009 World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships & 1st Para-Taekwondo Championships

1

Serge Sembona (M)

051-0004

France

1

Shahram Arbabi (M)

047-0031

Iran

2

Barbara Ruth Marian (F)

043-0016

Canada

2

Roland Gayo Campos (M)

024-2121

Philippines

3

Song Chul Kim (M)

038-0164

Canada

3

Nubia E. Segundo (F)

060-0016

Mexico

Baku, Azerbaijan June 10~14/2009

4

Jatuporn Hemwonno (F)

042-0017

Thailand

4

Abdelhak Chbibi (M)

048-0056

Belgium

5

Samuel Michael Loiacono (M)

029-0123

Australia

5

Christopher Codling (M)

035-0014

Great Britain

19th (14th Women’s) World Taekwondo Championships

1

Jung Kwang Jeon (M)

034-0062

Korea

1

Ricardo Santiago (M)

024-2141

Philippines

2

Sandra Magally Pena (F)

043-0099

Colombia

2

Hafez Mahdavi (M)

045-0411

Iran

3

Myung Chan Kim (M)

019-0910

U.S.A

3

Wu Jianzhong (M)

054-0003

China

4

Predreg Tesovic (M)

050-0014

Serbia

5

Faraj Alfadhel (M)

045-0240

Kuwait

Copenhagen, Denmark Oct. 14~18/2009 148

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20th (15th Women’s) World Taekwondo Championships Gyeongju, Korea May 1~6/2011

9th World Junior Taekwondo Championships Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt April 4~8/2012

2012 World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships Santa Cruz, Aruba Nov. 23~25/2012

21st (16th Women’s) World Taekwondo Championships Puebla, Mexico July 15~21/2013

2013 World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire Nov. 28-30/2013 Around the WTF

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WTF Best Referee Award Recipients List

1st WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

Name (Gender)

IR Number

Nationality

No

Name (Gender)

IR Number

Nationality

5th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

1

Kang-Ein Kim (M)

001-0027

Korea

1

Ahmed Hassan El Mofty (M)

009-0006

Egypt

2

Tong-Wan Shin (M)

003-0018

Great Britain

2

Elio Luppichini Mella (M)

007-0013

Chile

3

Varo David Barragan (M)

001-0122

Panama

3

Vera Moens (F)

001-0141

Belgium

4

Carmen Navarro Ingles (F)

005-0010

Spain

4

Roberto Lopez (M)

001-0004

Mexico

Seoul, Korea Sept. 4~6/2006

5

Teong Chin Lim (M)

006-0055

Singapore

5

Seung Jae Heo (M)

008-0012

Korea

6

Nur Syahidah Binti Abdullah (F)

006-0046

Malaysia

Tashkent, Uzbekistan Oct. 8~10/2010

2nd WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

1

Santiago Escutia (M)

001-0125

Mexico

1

Jung Hua Lien (M)

001-0133

Chinese Taipei

2

Aly Mohamed Taher Nour (M)

006-0067

Egypt

2

Costantino Luciano (M)

003-0013

Italy

6th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

3

In Ok Yang (F)

006-0021

Korea

3

Jungjin Jeon (F)

008-0010

Korea

Incheon, Korea Nov. 4~6/2007

4

Shin Boo Kim (M)

001-0121

Australia

4

Vladimir Lifshits (M)

006-0068

Russia

5

Mustapha Moutarazak (M)

002-0011

Netherlands

5

El Hadj Bamaarouf (M)

004-0021

Morocco

3rd WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

1

Jong Wan Kim (M)

004-0010

France

1

Daniel Khorassandjin (M)

010-0041

Lebanon

2

Jin Beom Kim (M)

006-0035

Korea

2

Johanna Bliem (F)

003-0001

Austria

3

Maria Nelly Chacin (F)

007-0031

Venezuela

3

Jun Cheol Yun (M)

011-0045

U.S.A

Ankara, Turkey Dec. 16~18/2008

4

Raymond Hsu (M)

007-0008

U.S.A

4

Wolfgang Bruckel (M)

001-0127

Germany

5

Galip Yalcinkaya (M)

003-0008

Turkey

5

Tem Igor Buenconsejo (M)

006-0050

Philippines

4th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

1

Jong Joo Kim (M)

006-0023

Korea

1

Acen Tanuwijaya (M)

008-0030

Indonesia

2

Kostas Kaloudis (M)

009-0020

Greece

2

Huy Thanh Nguyen (M)

001-0108

Vietnam

3

Elba Monroy Garcia (F)

007-0019

Mexico

3

Noor Muhammad Shirali (M)

003-0014

Germany

4

Ahmed Mahmoud Rizk (M)

002-0074

Egypt

4

Ahmed Saied Ahmed (M)

014-0002

Egypt

5

Jose Luis Gonzalo Morales (M)

005-0024

Spain

5

Maria de Lourdes de Veer (F)

007-0031

Aruba

Cairo, Egypt Nov. 30~December 2/2009

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No

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Vladivostok, Russia July 29~31/2011

7th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships Tunja, Colombia Dec. 6~9/2012

8th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships Bali, Indonesia Oct. 31~ Nov 3/2013

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International Referee Interview The games became much more dynamic and exciting, especially when we applied the new rules that stop athletes faking injuries and wasting time during contests.

How popular is taekwondo in your country?

Taekwondo in Lebanon is the sport that has got the best achievements and results because of our athletes during past years. We have got medals in the World Junior Championships, the Youth Olympic Games, the Asian Games and the Asian Championships.

Julie Dib Lebanon July 18, 1977 bantam8@hotmail.com +96 1346 5670

The WTF celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding in 2013. What is your evaluation of the WTF’s 40 years of activities?

Recently the WTF’s activities have been hugely successful in terms of achieving their goals and objectives - especially in 2013, which was of course the decision taken by the IOC to name taekwondo as one of the 25 core sports on the 2020 Olympic program. I guess that is the greatest achievement for all the WTF family.

‘Be humble, modest, honest, fair and transparent’

Officiated at 2012 London Olympics & 2013 Grand Prix final Best referee at 2010 Urumqi World Cup

How long have you served as an international referee and what motivated you to become an IR? I have been an international referee since 2003. I was a fighter before that; I had some achievements during that period but I wanted more. I became a trainer then an IR, my passion. This game gives me the strength to continue fulfilling my goals.

When did you start practicing taekwondo and what was your motivation?

I started practicing taekwondo when I was 6 years old and I come from a sporty family.

The martial art spirit runs in our blood!

What is your goal as an IR? My goal is to maintain the good level, looking forward for new achievements, and sharing the improvement of this game.

What is your greatest achievement so far as an IR? London 2012 Olympic Games What is your evaluation of the Protector and Scoring System (PSS) and the Instant Video Replay system?

I think the use of IVR and the electronic body protector gives more fairness to the competitors and it limits possible human mistakes in refereeing.

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Do you have any suggestions for the betterment of taekwondo and referee education of the World Taekwondo Federation?

Of course training camps and refresher courses help a lot in the referees’ education.

Moreover refereeing has been improving a lot lately with the new technology that can be accessed online, and watching the videos posted on Dartfish - that’s what we did during our training period for the London Olympics.

Taekwondo is on the official program of the 2020 Olympic Games as a core sport. What is your evaluation?

I am very proud and honored by that decision and I wish all of us continue working smarter and harder in order to maintain the good level. And lead our game to achieve more successful achievements as was the case in 2012 in London – the best games ever.

Anything to add?

I would like to thank all the people that have supported me who have had faith in me and in my capabilities. The trust they gave me will make me always committed to fulfilling my duties to the utmost extent with wisdom and honesty. Thank you!

Do you have any advice for those who are interested in becoming an IR? Be humble, modest, honest, fair and transparent.

Would you name several positive changes of refereeing and judging in the last 10 years?

Definitely. The use of PSS and the instant video replay are the most positive changes.

Also, in my opinion the head-kick scoring becomes very easy when you just have to touch lightly the head, because athlete safety is a must.

What is your overall evaluation of the refereeing and judging at the 2013 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in Manchester, UK? Around the WTF

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International Referee Interview

Christopher Codling Great Britain Nov. 14, 1970 ccodli@aol.com +44 7836 372 755 Officiated at 2013 Grand Prix final Best referee at 2013 Puebla World Championships

How long have you served as an international referee and what motivated you to become an IR? I became an international referee at the 35th IR Seminar held in Helsinki, Finland back in 1996. Just like many young taekwondo athletes, I went to a lot of competitions as a player. I was unhappy at the standard of judging and refereeing in my own country, and made it my mission to try and sort it out.

I didn’t want other athletes to feel the same way as I did, so set about becoming a referee and hopefully getting to a stage where I was the one teaching them. For the past 12 years this has been the case within Great Britain, and I am pleased with the standard of the referees we are now producing to officiate at our competitions.

When did you start practicing taekwondo and what was your motivation?

I started practicing taekwondo at the tender age of nine back in 1980, as the result of a demonstration I had seen on a local evening news television program. Master Tong Wan Shin and his students performed an excellent demonstration which caught my eye and made me want to do taekwondo. I set about looking for a local club to train at and found one run by Stuart Haliday who became my instructor. Stuart himself became an IR which in turn was a great help to me when I was looking at becoming a referee myself.

What is your goal as an IR? I would like to referee at an Olympic Games.

What is your greatest achievement so far as an IR? My greatest achievement so far as an IR has to be getting the Best Referee Award at the 2013 World Taekwondo Championships in Puebla, Mexico.

What is your evaluation of the Protector and Scoring System (PSS) and the Instant Video Replay system?

I do believe that the PSS system is the way forward for sport taekwondo. I still think

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it can be improved and I’m sure it will over the coming years. The Instant Video Replay system is a must in any sport nowadays. The Dartfish system which we use at most competitions I think is excellent, and is improving all the time. With the education we are now receiving along with this, it will only improve in making the game more fair and transparent.

Do you have any suggestions for the betterment of taekwondo and referee education of the World Taekwondo Federation?

I believe we have the right team in place at the moment (Mr. Chakir Chelbat – WTF Referee Chairman and Mr. Phillip Bouedo – Games Chairman) who have made vast changes in the education program, which has taken the standard of refereeing to another level. They are continually improving things to make the game fair and transparent for everyone to see.

Do you have any advice for those who are interested in becoming an IR? All I would say is, it is an extremely important and hard job, but without the referees, the athletes can’t compete. So please come forward and join our family, and let’s continue with the next generation of officials to

take the sport forward.

Would you name several positive changes of refereeing and judging in the last 10 years? a. The team in place delivering the Education Program b. Introduction of the Instant Video Replay system c. Allowing officials to request the Instant Video Replay system d. Showing the Instant Video Replay on the big screens e. Introduction of rules and guidelines to prevent players from stalling the game What is your overall evaluation of the refereeing and judging at the 2013 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in Manchester, UK? I think the quality of the judging and refereeing was excellent, which once again pays testament to the education program in place. I believe the decisions on the Instant Video Replay could possibly have been a little quicker in some instances. This is an area which is being worked on in the education program.

How popular is taekwondo in your country?

Taekwondo has become more and more popular within Great Britain since the publicity it got when Sarah Stevenson won bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games.

Then in the 2012 London Olympics Games, winning gold and a bronze by Jade Jones and Lutalo Muhammad, the sport has had a tremendous amount of publicity. This has improved taekwondo’s popularity, which is being seen within the membership.

that with all the constant improvements to make our sport more dynamic and entertaining, that it should be in all future games.

Anything to add?

It has been an honor and a privilege being asked to do this article as one of the WTF international referees.

The WTF celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding in 2013. What is your evaluation of the WTF’s 40 years of activities?

I am very pleased to have been a member of the WTF for a good number of those years. I feel that taekwondo is one of the only arts that have moved along with the times. The constant re-evaluation of how it can be improved is a true testament to the people who have guided us through the last 40 years.

Taekwondo is on the official program of the 2020 Olympic Games as a core sport. What is your evaluation?

I am pleased that the IOC has decided to keep our wonderful sport within the 2020 Games and hope that I may still be around to possibly be an IR at this event. It is quite clear

Around the WTF

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International Referee Interview What is your evaluation of the Protector and Scoring System (PSS) and the Instant Video Replay system?

From my point of view as an IR, the PSS system and the Video Instant Replay system have made kyorugi a more objective game.

Reducing human error makes this game fairer and more transparent. Also the chest protectors maintain the safety of the athletes, and have not failed to achieve that primary function.

Do you have any suggestions for the betterment of taekwondo and referee education of the World Taekwondo Federation?

Well, humbly I say that I have some ideas from my perspective as an industrial engineer to make the game better for the viewers. I hope to God that these ideas are validated and that I have the opportunity to present them, first to the PATU Referee Chairman Myung-chan Kim, and then to WTF Referee Chairman Chakir Chelbat.

Neydis Tavarez Puerto Rico June 28, 1965 neydis@yahoo.com +939 645 2145 Officiated at 2012 London Olympics & 2013 Grand Prix final Best referee at 2011 Gyeongju World Championships

How long have you served as an international referee and what motivated you to become an IR? When I started taekwondo, I always enjoyed kyorugi. But over the years, with other responsibilities in my life, like being a mother, coach and trainer for my students and my children, my presence in the game was modified. With time came the opportunity to be a national referee in 1998. For me, this was another way of being directly in the game without having to distance myself completely. So, in 2006 came the dreamed-of opportunity to develop myself as an international referee for my country, Puerto Rico.

What is your greatest achievement so far as an IR? So far, my greatest achievement as IR was to have been part of the Olympic Games 2012, which shaped history for the good of taekwondo.

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Would you name several positive changes of refereeing and judging in the last 10 years?

• The introduction of advanced technology: Instant Video Replay (IVR) system and the use of Protector and Scoring System (PSS) • The creation of a Review Jury. IRs with great experience in taekwondo and kyorugi take the decisions in requested video replays • The 10-second rules ensure that athletes do not avoid the fight • Win by point gap: The match shall finish when a 12-point difference between the two competitors at the end of the 2nd round or at any time during the 3rd round exists • Reduction of contest area from 10m x 10m to 8m x 8m to initiate more action in the contest and ensure athletes do not run away or avoid the fight using space • Give more points to the more difficult and spectacular kicking technique: three points for valid kicks to the head, two points for turning kicks to the body and four points for valid turning kicks to the head • The awarding of additional points to the competitor by opposing player penalties • The rule that one of the judges can request a meeting between refereeing officials and

ask for confirmation among the judges in case a mistake has been made • The rule that in the last 10 seconds of the 3rd round and at any time during the sudden death round, any of the judges can ask for review and correction of scoring when a coach does not have an appeal quota • The specification of some penalties, such as penalties for running, turning the back, blocking with the knee and coach behavior • The rule about duration of each round of games may be adjusted to 1 minute x 3 rounds, 1 minute 30 seconds x 3 rounds or 2 minutes x 2 rounds upon the decision of the Technical Delegate for the pertinent championships • The international referee education by the WTF Referee Division with, seminars and the Dartfish videos in the WTF Taekwondo TV Education and Referee channel How popular is taekwondo in your country?

After my country had two sub-world Champions, (Ineabelle Díaz, Madrid-2005 and Zoraida Santiago, Copenhagen-2009), a Junior World Champion, (Myrllam Sire Vargas-Tavarez, Tijuana-2010), and two Olympic 5th places, (Asuncion Ocasio, Beijing-2008 and Ineabelle Diaz, Athena-2004), taekwondo has increased in popularity in my country.

Is there anything you would like to add?

The greatest things are the most simple.

When we silence the noise and focus toward the simplest way is to begin to grow and see the true splendor of life, joy, peace and blessings that God gives us. Taekwondo is an instrument to achieve, see and find the beauty of life, it just depends on each of us. I hope that 2014 brings more compassion and love for all.

Around the WTF

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Chelbat Chakir

Jin-bang Yang

Philippe Bouedo

Technical Committee Convenes in New Taekwondo Complex

The WTF held its Technical and Development Committee workshop at the Taekwondowon in Muju, Korea on Jan. 13-15, 2014.

Participants in the working-group workshop dealt with almost all major taekwondo matters, including the protector and scoring system, electronic head gear, Grand Prix events, para-taekwondo, and team championships.

They also discussed development programs for referees, improvements to the WTF Competition Rules, improvements to championships and codes of behavior for athletes, coaches and team officials.

The WTF Technical and Development Committee held its latest meeting in a location appropriate: The brand-new Taekwondowon in Muju, Korea

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The three-day workshop drew members of the WTF Technical and Development Committee, including Jin-bang Yang of Korea, a new committee chairman; Philippe Bouedo of France, chairman of the WTF Games Committee; and Chelbat Chakir of Sweden, chairman of the WTF Referee Committee. Both the latter were reappointed to their respective committees for a two-year term.

Also on hand at the workshop were Gary Hall of Great Britain, performance director of GB Taekwondo; Bruce Harris, president of USA Taekwondo; and Prof. Kook-hyun Jung, a WTF Council member. WTF President Chungwon Choue attended the first session of the workshop, while WTF Secretary General Jean-Marie Ayer attended all the meetings.

“This workshop serves as a brainstorming session and all topics should be put on the table and I expect concrete action plans should be worked out,” WTF President Chungwon Choue said at the workshop.

“We have to continue to evolve for taekwondo to maintain its Olympic status.”

Yang, the newly appointed chairman of

Jean-Marie Ayer

the WTF Technical and Development Committee, who replaced Dae-won Moon of Mexico, said, “The WTF has organized the most successful taekwondo competitions both at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2013 Puebla World Taekwondo Championships. Now the WTF has to prepare for the next stage and show the world a new taekwondo at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.”

“In this regard, the workshop had a special meaning as we exchanged extensive ideas and opinions on each and every topics,” said Yang, a taekwondo professor of Yong In University. He previously served as secretary general of the Korean Taekwondo Association.

“Respecting WTF President Choue’s commitment to continued evolution of taekwondo and the WTF, I will do my utmost to support him, thereby helping taekwodo become a genuinely global sport,” Yang continued.

Bouedo, chairman of the WTF Games Committee, said, “I am happy and proud to be part of the WTF Technical and Development Committee. During my first two-year

tenure as the chairman of the WTF Games Committee, the main target was the success of the London Olympic Games and we made it.”

He added. “Over the next two years, based on this success, we should not sleep and still keep on working again and again for the 2016 Olympic Games. Through this brainstorming workshop, we will make real proposals to make the best taekwondo.”

Chakir, chairman of the WTF Referee Committee, said, “Since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, there were huge improvements in refereeing and judging and the 2012 London Olympic Games were a great success with the introduction of a protector and scoring system and an instant video replay system.”

“We have the best education programs ever. For further improvements of taekwondo, I plan to make stronger programs for the 2016 Rio Olympics,” Chakir added. “We will teach and educate our referees and we are really pushing to make more dynamic competitions.”

The WTF Taekwondo Demonstration Team held a workshop for its 50 members at the Taekwondowon for four days from Jan. 12, 2014.

The Taekwondowon will officially open to the public in April 2014.

Kook-hyun Jung

Around the WTF

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Taekwondo’s Latest Honorary Black Belts Four global leaders are latest recipients of WTF honorary black belts.

Here is why...

The black belt is a symbol not just of athletic achievement in the sport, but also of prestige.

For this reason, the WTF awards honorary black belts to persons who have made significant contributions - even if they are unable to throw a front kick. The latest recipients are:

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June 6, 2013

Nov. 13, 2013

U.N. Secretary General

Russian President

Ki-moon Ban

Vladimir Putin

Jan. 21, 2014

Feb. 18, 2014

Kazakh President

Lithuanian President

Nursultan Nazarbayev

Dalia Grybauskaite

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Taekwondo’s Latest Honorary Black Belts

June 6, 2013 U.N. Secretary General

Ki-moon Ban Ban was awarded an honorary 10th dan at the U.N. headquarters in New York, the day before the 3rd International Forum on Sport for Peace and Development, jointly organized by the U.N. and the IOC. WTF President Chungwon Choue said that the award recognized how closely aligned taekwondo’s values are with those of the UN. Ban is only the third recipient of an honorary 10th dan; the previous two were former IOC presidents Juan Sammaranch and Jacques Rogge.

The Russian president was awarded an honorary ninth dan and a taekwondo dobok during his state visit to Korea by WTF President Choue.

Putin is widely known not just for politics, but also for his interest in fitness and his enthusiasm for martial arts. Choue made the presentation to thank the Russian leader for his contribution to the sport’s development across Russia.

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163

Taekwondo’s Latest Honorary Black Belts

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Jan. 21, 2014

Feb. 18, 2014

Kazakh President

Lithuanian President

Nursultan Nazarbayev

Dalia Grybauskaite

The president of the Central Asian republic was awarded an honorary ninth dan by Choue for his efforts to promote the sport across Kazakhstan.

The presentation was made in the Ak Orda Presidential Palace in the city of Astana. Kazakhstan is considering establishing a taekwondo Regional Training Center and is also bidding to host an upcoming Grand Prix.

The president of the Baltic state was presented an honorary ninth dan

by Choue during a ceremony at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in Seoul, Korea. The award was made in acknowledgement of the president’s contribution to the development of the sport in her country. During the ceremony, Grybauskaite pledged to continue to promote taekwondo and increase participation, particularly among young people.

TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

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Married to Taekwondo Michel Idiaquez Baradat, Honduras’ ambassador to Korea, could not have a closer relationship with taekwondo ee; Master Martin Banegas; Cecilio Molina; Marlon and Vicente Zuñiga, and of course the actual President of the Republic of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo Sosa.

What led you to taekwondo?

I started practicing taekwondo when I was 12 years old, influenced by the passion for martial arts of my oldest brother, who used to take me to the cinema to watch Bruce Lee, and other martial arts movies. But my mother, who´s an accomplished piano player, wanted me to learn classical music and enrolled me in piano classes. To be honest, I didn’t do that well.

This frustrated me and made my desire to practice martial arts stronger.

At school, a fellow student told me about an extraordinary Korean master who had recently established a taekwondo academy in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, where I was born and grew up. Finally, I enrolled in Master

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Bong-kyung Song’s gymnasium and my relationship with the Song family started, creating, through the practice of taekwondo, a filial bonding that would change my life forever.

My first days of training at Master Song’s dojang were challenging. At that time, we used to train with the members of the Presidential Guard, therefore, the rhythm and difficulty of the exercises and sparring where arduous. My learning process was stimulated by outstanding players and fellow classmates like Fredy Nuñez, who became the first Honduran ever to win a medal (silver), in an official continental competition, the Pan-American Games; Master Marco Banegas, the only Honduran WTF international refer-

How important is taekwondo to you?

The wisdom and values of Master Song helped me forge a healthy body and gain self-confidence, reaffirming my personality as a competitive person better prepared to face life’s challenges. At a more personal level, Master Song exposed me to a new culture, the Korean culture, which I learned to embrace and admire.

Thirty years later, in retrospect, I’ve come to the conclusion that the decision to practice taekwondo defined me as a person.

In 2002 I married Ivette Song, the daughter and right hand of Master Song, whom I remember seeing for the first time when she was five years old, rolling and jumping with her young brother David in the dojang under the watchful eye of her strict mother, Young-shin Kang. Now God has blessed our family with two sons and after a 20-year career as a diplomat I was finally appointed as ambassador of Honduras to Korea.

Does your family still practice?

My wife Ivette is a dentist and a 4th dan black belt, our sons Michel and Daniel have been taught to perceive taekwondo as an elemental part of the family’s daily routine, hence, the Mooto Dojang in our neighborhood in Seoul has become an extension of our home, where they are learning to socialize and compete with their classmates while acquiring the values of respect, honesty and discipline.

Moreover, by offering classes for children during the day and for adults at night, we

are able to practice, at the same dojang, the basics of taekwondo, kyorugi, poomsae and self-defense, all under the sage guidance of specialized sabonims.

My family and the whole world have learned to appreciate taekwondo - in my opinion the first Korean brand to achieve global status. I firmly believe taekwondo has been a valuable instrument to overcome racial, cultural and religious boundaries making people around the world more tolerant.

I understand that taekwondo has a special place in Honduras…?

On Jan. 4, 2014 in Honduras, in a solemn ceremony chaired by the President of the Republic, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, a National Day of Taekwondo was established in commemoration of Grand Master Bongkyung Song.

Master Song is considered the founder of the WTF in Honduras, and in recognition of this, he was awarded with a Gold Medal by the National Assembly for his contribution to the education of youth in the country. He initiated his martial art career at the age of 12, and graduated first in his class from the prestigious Yong In University with a major in physical education, and a 4th dan in taekwondo, judo and hapkido. He then became a professor at Yong In University and was known as

a fierce judo player in the heavyweight category, winning four national championships, before leaving Korea to continue his life trajectory in Honduras.

President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, who is a 4th dan himself, and was privileged with an honorary 9th dan during his official visit to Korea by WTF President Chungwon Choue, said in his congratulatory speech: “I will send to the National Assembly a decree to establish the 4th of January as the National Day of Taekwondo, in memory of Korean Master Bong-kyung Song, who promoted the sport in Honduras and also was my professor, whom I recall with much affection. Taekwondo’s discipline allowed me to forge a tolerant character and Hondurans must give more emphasis to taekwondo as an educational tool and take advantage of the excellent bilateral relations existing with Korea, the country where the sport originated. I recall that when I visited Korea, the fact that I practiced taekwondo, allowed me to strengthen ties with my hosts and

doors were opened. I congratulate the President of the National Taekwondo Federation of Honduras, Vinicio Armando Valdez, for keeping alive the memory of Master Song, which endures today in the education of citizens and whose influence has marked my life. I recommend enlisting the children of the country in the sport, whose philosophy is not one of attack, but which makes use of prudence and maintains conduct and discipline according to the philosophy of taekwondo.”

The president’s speech was responded to by the widow of Master Song, Youngshin Kang. She thanked President Lobo for supporting taekwondo during his tenure. She said she felt happy to share this historic day with the taekwondo family that her husband forged. She expressed her gratitude to the president for his proposal of a decree to declare Jan. 4, Master Song’s date of birth, National Day of Taekwondo in Honduras. Master Song passed away in 2008.

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EVENTS EVENTS CALENDAR - AFTU Date

Event

Remarks

Feb. 11-16

Luxor, Egypt

1st Luxor Open Championships ( G 2 )

Open

May 10-11

Tunis, Tunisia

4th Cartage Open Championships ( G 1 )

Open

May

Gaborone, Botswana

2nd African Youth Games ( G 4 )

Multi Games

June 12-15 or July 24-17

Kinshasa, D.R. Congo

IRS & IRRC Kyorugi Referees Seminar & Course

WTF Kyorugi Referees Seminar & Course

August (to be confirmed)

Tunis, Tunisia

African Championships ( G 4 )

AFTU Continental Championships

TBA

Brazzaville, Congo

All African Games ( G 4 )

Multi Games

TBA

TBA

African Championships ( G 4 )

AFTU Continental Championships

TBA

TBA

Kyorugi Referees Seminar & Course

WTF Kyorugi Referees Seminar & Course

TBA

TBA

Poomsae Referees Seminar & Course

WTF Poomsae Referees Seminar & Course

2014

AFTU

President’s Message

Gen. Ahmed Fouly President Vice President, WTF

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2015

NEWS Family members: Greetings!

2014 saw another era dawn for taekwondo promotion worldwide, with wider application of advanced levels of new systems and methods for our sport; with Grand Prix events; and with the Global License usage. New changes came to competitions, beginning with the shape of the competition area, developments in the rules, and many other improvements.

We hope that this new energy, which is promoting taekwondo, will keep it on the top of the martial arts pyramid, and maintain its strong status as an Olympic sport.

As for Africa, we will positively move in the same strong direction as all WTF trends. 2014 will see promotions and upgrades in the continent’s activities and systems, led by the African Taekwondo Union in all its zones, with all its family leaders and with all its members.

Hoping for the best of luck and success to all in 2014!

Kindly note that the General Assembly of the African Taekwondo Union (AFTU) which included the elections, took place on Sept. 9, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt, with the representation of 24 members.

The results of the elections are as follows:

President Gen. Ahmed Mohamed Fouly (Egypt) 1st Vice President Mr. Ide Issaka (Niger) NORTH REGION Vice President Mr. Driss El Hilali (Morocco) Mr. Ali Mohamed Saber (Libya) EAST REGION Vice President Mr. Suleiman Sumba (Kenya) Member Mr. Hassan Kasm Allah El Kamar (Sudan) CENTRAL REGION Vice President Mr. Alain Badiashile (D.R. Congo) Member Mr. Edouard Tchoquessi (Cameroon)

WEST REGION Vice President Mr. Sheikh Bamba (Cote d’Ivoire ) Member Mr. Frank Eyll kwami Klutse (Togo ) SOUTH REGION Vice President Mr. Henri Randriamandrato (Madagascar) Member Mr. Godfrey Mokaboto (South Africa )

Members appointed by ATFU President Vice President Dr. Jonathen Nnaji (Nigeria) Mr. Martin Koonce (Rwanda) Mr. Souleymane Diallo (Guinée)

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Continental Unions

ATU

EVENTS EVENTS CALENDAR - ATU Date

Place

Event

Feb. 20 - 21

Fujairah City, UAE

2nd Fujairah Open International Taekwondo Championships

Feb. 21 - 23 Feb. 24 - 26

President’s Message

Kyu-seok Lee President

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Dear taekwondo colleagues and family, On behalf of the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU), I wish you a happy new year with good health, and appreciate your support for taekwondo and the WTF. I would like to begin by thanking Dr. Dai-soon Lee for his remarkable contribution and dedication to the Asian Taekwondo Union on behalf of the entire ATU family. I truly believe that the ATU has prospered thanks to his hard work and leadership.

I also greatly appreciate Dr. Chungwon Choue, WTF president, and all WTF staff for their support and dedication. Without continuous support from you and all the taekwondo family in the world, we would not have had such a great 40th anniversary as we did in Bali,

Indonesia last year.

On the threshold of another decade, as a newly elected president of the Continental Union, I dare promise all taekwondo colleagues and families that I will be a role model to show a taekwondo spirit corresponding with courtesy and integrity, and support the WTF and other Continental Unions, thereby ensuring our cohesion as one strong family and promoting taekwondo with true values.

The characteristics of sports are sociability, improvement, truthfulness, verifiability, freedom and equality. We should never forget these principles.

Therefore, a major duty of taekwondo leaders is to educate our taekwondo families in these characteristics.

The spirit of taekwondo should be adhered to by all

people who train taekwondo in all places where taekwondo exists. Then, we don’t need to worry about unfairness of judging or biased decision-making at any taekwondo competition venue.

Taekwondo has grown so rapidly and become one of the biggest Olympic sports. This is very good. However, this external growth, I feel, may dilute the true value and spirit of taekwondo as a great martial art and sport.

So, for another decade, we should look into our internal growth – concerning the spirit and characteristics of taekwondo - and put efforts into this.

Again, I thank you all for your continuous concern, support and cooperation for taekwondo. I wish you a great 2014!

4th Asian Clubs Championships

Tehran, Iran

25th Fajr International Open

Feb. 27- March 1 Manama, Bahrain

6th Bahrain Open

April 8 -25

Kish, Iran

West Asian Games

May 3 -5

Nepal

2nd Mt. Everest Tournament

May 25 - 28

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

3rd Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships 21st Asian Taekwondo Championships

Mid July

Gyeongju, Korea

2014 Gyeongju Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships

Sept. 30 - Oct. 3

Incheon, Korea

17th Asian Games

Nov. 5 - 9

Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand Open International Taekwondo Championships

NEWS Finalists of open exhibition for ATU logo Grand Prize (1st)

2nd

3rd

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Continental Unions

EVENTS

ETU President’s Message

Athanasios Pragalos President

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Dear ladies and gentlemen, For the year 2014, I would like to wish all members of the taekwondo family all over the world, a prosperous, happy and healthy new year!

2013 was a full year for the ETU. We had a fully scheduled event calendar and travelled from country to country in order to attend championships, meetings and other events.

Most important was the decision of the International Olympic Committee to include our beloved sport in the Games of the Olympiad in 2020!

Without the continuous efforts of WTF President Chungwon Choue and all other colleagues, this would never have been

achieved. I think this is something of which we can all be proud!

The ETU’s member national associations continued to organize high-level events for our athletes in Europe. The ETU organized several European Championships in 2013 and all of them were concluded successfully. These events are the cornerstone of our existence and the ETU continues to further professionalize its events.

In 2013, the ETU opened its new office in the city of Athens.

With its staff, the office under the leadership of Secretar General Mr. Fysentzidis, will do its utmost to serve the MNAs and prepare ETU events and

meetings. The ETU was honored with a visit from Dr. Choue at the newly opened office in December 2013.

The year 2014 will be a year which will mark the start of G1 events throughout Europe.

In total, Europe will host 15 G-ranked events and continues to be the leading Continental Union with regard to the number of high-level and high-quality events. We are profoundly proud and thankful for this. Azerbaijan will host the 2014 ETU European Senior Championships in May and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will provide live feeds of this event throughout the world. The ETU hopes that this

cooperation with the EBU will help the general public across Europe to become ever-more closely acquainted with our beloved sport.

Finally, I would like to thank in particular WTF President Choue, all volunteers, referees, organizers, executives and those who spent their time contributing to our sport.

Without your valued and committed contribution, none of the events and activities that took place in the past and will take place in the future could be possible. Thank you for your contribution!

EVENTS CALENDAR - ETU Date

Place

Event

Feb. 8 - 9

Trelleborg, Sweden

Trelleborg Open (G1)

Feb. 11 - 16

Luxor, Egypt

Luxor Open

Feb. 15 - 16

Gummersbach, Germany

German Open Poomsae (A-CLASS)

March 15 - 16

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Dutch Open (G2)

March 20 - 21

New Taipei City, Taipei

WTF Qualification Tournament for Nanjing 2014 Youth Oplympic Games

April 4 - 6

Lommel, Belgium

Belgian Open Poomsae (A-CLASS)

April 5 - 6

Lommel, Belgium

Belgian Open Kyorugi

April 11 - 13

Hamburg, Germany

German Open (G1)

April 25 - 27

Kos Island, Greece

Greece Open (G1)

May 1 - 5

Baku, Azerbaijan

European Senior Championships (G4)

May 7 - 8

Lausanne, Suisse

Swiss Open (G1_

May 8 - 14

Hohhot, China

13th World University Taekwondo Championships

May 14

Vienna, Austria

Austrian Open Poomsae (A-CLASS)

May 23 - 25

Alicante, Spain

Spanish Open (G1)

May 23 - 26

New Taipei City, Taipei

10th WTF World Junior Taekwondo Championships

May 25

TBA

Danish Open Poomsae (A-CLASS)

May 31 - June 1

Innsbruck, Austria

Austrian Open Kyorugi (G1)

May TBD

Rome, Italy

KIM & LIU International Tournament (A-CLASS)

May TBD

Chisinau, Moldova

Moldova Open (G1)

June 20 - 21

New Taipei City, Taipei

WTF Qualification Tournament for Nanjing 2014 Youth Oplympic Games

June 21 - 22

TBD

5th World Para Taekwondo Championships

July TBC

Gyeongju, Korea

Gyeongju Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships (G1)

July TBC

TBD

2014 WTF World Grand Prix Series 1 (G4)

July 24 - 27

Baku, Azerbaijan

WTF World Cadet Taekwondo Championships

July TBC

TBD

2014 WTF World Grand Prix Series 1 (G4)

July 24 - 27

Baku, Azerbaijan

WTF World Cadet Taekwondo Championships (G1)

Aug. 16 - 28

Nanjing, China

Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games (TKD 17 - 21)

Sept. 6 - 7

Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw Cup

Sept. 11 - 15

Moscow, Russia

Russia Open (G1)

Sept. 21

Ramla, Israel

Israel Open (G1)

Oct. TBD

Aguascalientes, Mexico

World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

Oct. TBD

TBD

2014 WTF World Grand Prix Series 2 (G4)

Oct. TBD

TBD, Turkey

European Club Taekwondo Championships

Oct. 1 - 5

Turku, Finland

1st European Team ChampionshipsOplympic Games

Oct. 3 - 5

Kharkov, Ukraine

Ukraine Open (G1)

Oct. 18 - 19

Belgrade, Serbia

Galeb Belgrade Trophy - Serbia Open (G1)

Nov. 8 - 9

Zagreb, Croatia

Croatia Open (G1)

Nov. 14 - 16

Antalya, Turkey

Turkish Open (G1)

Dec. 13 - 14

Paris, France

Tournoi International de Paris (G1)

Dec. TBD

TBD

2014 WTF World Grand Prix Series Final (G8)

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Continental Unions

PATU

President’s Message

Ji-ho Choi President

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Dear PATU family and friends, Greetings on behalf of the Pan American Taekwondo Union (PATU) and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)!

I would like to send my very best wishes for continued success and prosperity to you and to your federations.

2014 is known as the Year of Blue Horse; it gallops along every 60 years. In Korea, the blue horse represents strength, perseverance, and success which are also great aspects of the taekwondo spirit. I am confident that the strong spirit of the blue horse will bring all

PATU family and friends unprecedented success in 2014.

PATU has been positively progressing in all areas of taekwondo development in the past few years; especially, in the development of poomsae competition where we have successfully trained many world champions. As part of our ongoing development, PATU has authorized 10 additional WTF G-ranked, international open events in 2014. These events will provide greater opportunities for our athletes to attain valuable WTF athlete ranking points in their early

preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Aside from these international open events, PATU has scheduled two multi-sports games and the Pan Am Olympic Festival, which will be organized by PASO/ODEPA and the Pan Am Senior Poomsae, Kyorugi and Para-Taekwondo Championships, to be held in Vancouver, Canada. in November 2014.

PATU opened this year’s competition season in February with the North American Tour which was scheduled two weeks apart, starting with the Canada Open and then the

U.S. Open. The close proximity of the dates maximized team results and reduced travel expenses.

Later in the year, the South American Tour will be organized with the Open of Las Americas in Colombia, the Argentina Open and the Costa Rica Open. It is advised that you begin strategically planning for these events to maximize your team’s WTF ranking points!

In July, PATU and PASO/ODEPA will jointly organize the Pan Am Olympic Festival in Mexico City for the 108 best-ranking athletes in the Pan Am region

to train and compete for nine days in an Olympic competition setting. All expenses for the participating athletes and coaches have been arranged to be paid by PASO/ODEPA. This is another excellent example of PATU’s ongoing efforts to develop a great working relationship with PASO/ODEPA. Looking even farther ahead, PATU is in the final stages of completing the Technical Manual with the OC of Toronto for the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada, as well as organizing the official qualification tournament to be held in Mex-

ico, in late 2014 or early 2015.

Our approved athlete quota remains 109, and these athletes will be selected through the qualification tournament.

Together with the WTF competition schedule, and PATU scheduled events, 2014 will undoubtedly be a very busy year for all members of the PATU family. Please remember that PATU’s EXCO and Council will always be available to assist and support you to generate the best possible results in the year.

As we anticipate another successful year, all detailed information for each event will

be posted on the PATU website, prior to each event. Please review the schedule and inform PATU of any questions or recommendations.

Again, thank you for your continued support of PATU’s leadership and I look forward to working with you towards a victorious 2014!

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Continental Unions History Maker

NEWS

OTU

The 2013 Mini-Pacific Games

Complete WTF Membership System Underway

Australia will be the first WTF member to complete this process

President’s Message

Phillip Walter Coles President

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Dear members and friends, 2013 was yet another year of significant development for the Oceania region. Despite limited funds and resources, the Oceania region continues to grow both in structure and athlete development. This has been possible because of the contribution and hard work of our member nations who devote themselves on a volunteer basis to the development of our sport and to the service of our athletes.

The OTU is blessed with some amazing people who are involved in our sport and we are so fortunate to have member nations who remain loyal, enthusiastic and passionate despite the adversities that they face in terms of resources, finances, expertise and opportunity.

Starting Jan. 1, 2014, all athletes competing in state and national competitions in Australia are required to have the WTF Global Athlete Licence (GAL).

Australia has been at the forefront of the WTF’s GMS and GAL initiatives and to further the implementation of this global initiative, Australia will be the first country to make the GAL mandatory for all its state, regional and national competitions.

Sports Taekwondo Austalia (STA) President John Kotsifas stated: “We have been assisting the WTF in the development of the Global Membership System for a number of years now. We were the first country to fully implement the GMS as our own national membership system so as to provide our members with a comprehensive and revolutionary membership system developed by the WTF. To further our partnership with the WTF, we have now decided to make the Global Athlete L icence mandatory for all competitions in Australia from Jan. 1 2014. This means that all athletes irrespec-

tive of age and belt rank, will be required to have the GAL in order to compete as an athlete in Australia. Further, all coaches, judges and officials will also be required to have the Global Official Licence (GOL) in order to officiate and coach at any Australian competition.

Australia will again be the first country to implement this requirement and we will work closely with the WTF to provide valuable feedback of this important initiative that will be implemented in 2014.

Consequently, in Australia, all ordinary members of STA will hold WTF GMS National membership, all athletes competing domestically, will hold the WTF GAL and all officials, coaches and judges participating at any domestic events will be required to hold a WTF Global Official Licence.

These are all important developments for our sport in Australia and our desire to link our domestic activities to the WTF global membership system and to further develop our relationship with the WTF.”

The 2013 Mini-Pacific Games, which is a WTF-sanctioned, multi-sport games event, took place in Wallis & Futuna in September 2013. Taekwondo was included as a medal sport for the games, which is an important lead up event to the Pacific Games in 2015 to be held in Papua New Guinea.

One of the smallest islands in the South Pacific, with a population of approximately 15,000 people, it hosted one of the most successful and friendliest competitions the OTU has witnessed in a very long time.

Our thanks and appreciation are expressed to our Wallis and Futuna friends and all the volunteers that made this a most enjoyable, friendly and successful event. Ten Oceania member nations competed at the Mini-Pacific Games, which demonstrated the vast improvement and rapid development of our Oceania athletes. Typically of the Oceania region, win or lose, all athletes showed immense support for each other and demonstrated great sportsmanship throughout the competition.

Two World Champions for Oceania in 2013 2013 world para-taekwondo champion Steven Currie is looking unstoppable.

Despite our small size and despite the lack of finances and resources that many other WTF regions enjoy, 2013 was a remarkable year for Oceania and in particular, Australia with two world champions being produced.

2013 world champion Carmen Marton is the first Aussie to win a taekwondo world championship.

The two-time Olympian Carmen Marton has made history - becoming the first Australian to win a world championship in taekwondo.

Marton, who competed at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, came agonizingly close to a medal in London, losing out to Germany’s Helena Fromm in the bronze medal final. And she did win bronze at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2003, an event designed to prepare talented young athletes for a future in sport.

At the World Championships in Puebla, Mexico, Marton was the first female fighter to enter the -62 kg final after beating the German Rabia Guelec by 7-2 in a match which was not always under her control. Marton could not reflect her superiority on the first period scoreboard, which

finished 0-0 thanks to Guelec’s evasive abilities. The second round was decisive, as Guelec started to feel the demanding competition on her legs. Marton took advantage of that to score 7 points, allowing the German to only connect with one chest kick (7-1). Marton changed her strategy for the 3rd round and left almost no cracks for Guelec to get back into the fight. In the end it was 7-2 - the first and only gold medal chance for Australia.

The Aussie’s rival in the big final was Korean Hwi-lang Kim, who defeated Nina Klaey of Switzerland 8-4 after coming back from a slow start. Marton took the title, beating Kim 7-3.

For the smallest and poorest of all continental unions, the Oceania region has produced two world champions in 2013.

This is an absolutely amazing achievement, which provides confidence and motivation for all aspiring young athletes in the Oceania region.

Steve Currie from Australia became a world para-taekwondo champion for a second time in 2013 winning the WTF World Para-championships held in Switzerland in June 2013. Steven had also previously won the 2010 WTF World Para-Taekwonodo Championships making him a two-time world champion.

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Shenzhen-China

Tehran-Iran

Beijing-China

Tashkent-Uzbekistan

New Regional Training Centers Coming On-Line As taekwondo continues to spread and decentralize, a range of WTF regional training centers are planned for around the world

Shenzhen-China

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Baku-Azerbaijan

The fifth WTF regional training center will be officially designated in Shenzhen, China, while Russia, Kazakhstan and Croatia have all expressed strong interest in hosting similar centers.

The decision to designate the Shenzhen Sport School, in China’s Guangdong Province, as an official WTF regional training center was taken during the 2nd Asia-Europe Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships held in the city in October 2013.

The school boasts a 303 sq. meter taekwondo hall - one of the largest dedicated spaces of its kind in the world. A board-hanging ceremony will take place on March 16, in the presence of WTF President Chungwon Choue.

In a related development, Russian Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko affirmed to WTF President Choue, during a meeting on Oct. 19, 2013 in St. Petersburg, that Russia was very interested in hosting a regional training center. The two were meeting on the

sidelines of the SportAccord World Combat Games, which took place in the Russian city.

In Western Europe, Croatia is also planning to establish a Regional Training Center. WTF Auditor Dalibor Krpan of Croatia delivered a presentation at the WTF Council meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in October 2013 regarding Croatia’s willingness to establish a center.

Subsequently, during a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Jan. 21, 2014, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev told the WTF’s Choue that his country was also interested in hosting a regional training center.

The various regional training centers will provide bases for upcoming seminars and workshops for referees, coaches and administrators, enabling easier access to world-class facilities within the WTF’s various geographic regions.

The first regional training center was designated at the Shichahai Sports School in Beijing, China, in September 2008. The sec-

ond, the Musado Center, was established in Baku, Azerbaijan in June 2009. The third was designated in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2009, while the fourth was designated in Tehran, Iran, in 2010. That center is adjacent to Iran’s Taekwondo University, which is now accepting students for four-year programs. (See separate story on Iranian taekwondo elsewhere in this issue.)

“Through the regional taekwondo training centers, we are sure that taekwondo will be further developed around the world,” said Choue. “We plan to designate more.”

With East Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East already catered to, the WTF hopes to see future centers come into being in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.

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N

ew Uniformity for Poomsae Uniforms Standardized competition uniforms have been confirmed for all WTF poomsae championships. And the new gear is not just about looking good‌

Spectators at the 9th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, to be held in the latter half of 2014 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, had better be prepared to be dazzled – because a splash of color is coming to taekwondo. While uniforms for kyorugi will remain classic white, uniforms for poomsae have gotten a facelift.

The uniforms have been standardized into three categories:

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Cadet Division

Junior and Senior Division

Master Division

(Ages 12-14)

(Ages 15-49)

(Ages 50 and up)

White top with red and black collar, plus blue pants for males; the same top, but with red pants for females

White top with dark blue pants for males; white top with light blue pants for females

Yellow top and dark blue pants for both males and females

This is a simplification and rationalization of the previous poomsae uniforms, which featured a wider range of categories. The decision to reduce the number of uniform categories was made at the WTF Poomsae Task Force Meeting, held in Korea from Jan. 29-30, 2013. The reason for the simplification was to prevent bias in judging.

Previous uniform designs were based on competitors’ taekwondo ranks, and this created a problem. In competition, poom grade holders might be competing against dan grade holders; and among dans, a first dan might be competing against (say) a seventh dan. This system could have generated sub-conscious bias, with judges awarding

higher scores to players with higher grades.

With the new standardization, this potential bias is eliminated, meaning that - as they are attired in the same uniform - a talented beginner of lowly rank has a fair chance against a veteran master with multiple dan grades.

In sum: The new standardization creates uniformity for the taekwondo family, ensures equality in the judging process, and presents a colorful and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The uniforms were originally designed by Korean company Dolsilnai, a fashion house specializing in hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). With feedback grained through extensive research taken into consideration, the designs and specifications have been perfected and standardized by WTF-recognized brand JCalicu. Now, other WTF-recognized companies including Adidas, Daedo, Mooto and Twin Tower are making the uniforms, granting poomsae competitors a wide range of suppliers to choose from before they step onto the mats in Mexico.

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Taekwondo pilgrims, take note.

For years now, the surging popularity of taekwondo worldwide has demanded a new architectural icon; a flagship complex appropriate to the sport’s status that will become the heartland of taekwondo as it accelerates into the 21st century.

The Taekwondowon is it.

Opening in April 2014, this facility lies in a valley winding through the rolling foot hills of Mt. Baekunsan (“White Cloud Moun-

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tain”) in the county of Muju, in Korea’s North Jeolla Province. Muju, approximately two-and-a-half hours from Seoul by car, is noted for its bucolic scenery, hence the complex’s name: “Taekwondowon” means, literally, “Taekwondo Garden.”

And it is some garden. Built over grounds totaling 2,314,000 sq. meters, the Taekwondowon is 70 percent as large as New York’s Central Park, and ten times bigger than Seoul’s World Cup Stadium. The project, which has been built with a combination of public and private funds, got underway in 2005.

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Greetings on the Opening of the Taekwondowon As you gear up for a successful year in 2014 - which, as the Year of the Horse, reflects the indefatigable spirit of the Korean people - may your future be blessed with good fortune and hope.

In 2013, the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation worked diligently to complete the construction of the Taekwondowon, to prepare meaningful and valuable programs, and to ensure that operations at the center go smoothly.

Our dream is for the new center to be a holy site for taekwondo.

To make that dream a reality, we will be bringing you new, exciting programs in April 2014.

In the days to come, the Taekwondowon will be a place that communicates the values and spirit of taekwondo to the world, a place that is filled with the true spirit of taekwondo. The center will become a cultural asset not only for Korea but also for the whole world, a place that all of us can be proud of.

It is said that everything starts with hope, that hope is an eternal beginning. Inspired by this saying, we will prepare for the long-awaited opening of the Taekwondowon with an attitude of new hope.

The flagship construction at the Taekwondowon is the circular, glass-sided T1 Arena, fronted by reflective pools. At 18,107 sq. meters, it includes a competition floor, seating for 4,571 spectators, VIPs areas, media facilities, event management facilities, lounges, rest areas and food court. This makes it the largest taekwondo arena on earth. Seen from above, the venue’s design is a threepart “taeguk” motif, symbolizing heaven, earth and man.

There is also a 7.314 sq. meter Taekwondo Museum and a Visitor Center, encompassing a multipurpose exhibition hall with some 5,000 taekwondo-related artifacts and documents. The museum shop sells training equipment and taekwondo merchandise, while a Resource Center provides the world’s top documentary archive/library on taekwondo.

An Experience Center – known as “Yap!” – covers 2,651 sq. meters and provides a place for visitors with no background in the sport to get a taste of taekwondo training through 3D technologies.

I humbly request your continued interest and support for the Taekwondowon. I pray that health and happiness will always be with you and your family.

With sincere gratitude, Taekwondo Promotion Foundation Chairman Jhong-shin Bae

A Sculpture Garden holds 11 pieces of standing art by sculptor Chung Hyung. His artworks are based on poomsae poses and stand in a circle representing global peace though the upright spirit of the taekwondo athlete. A nearby, open-air Performance Area provides a space for demonstrations of taekwondo or other aspects of Korean culture.

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But the Taekwondowon is not just for tourists; taekwondo masters, teachers, athletes and hobbyists are, of course, fully catered to. A training center - “Doyak Buildings A, B and C” - provides a total floor area of 10,705 sq. meters with training mats, a multipurpose gymnasium, a weight room, and a meditation room. The buildings also house accommodation facilities for live-in training, including single rooms, dormitories and meeting/conference facilities. Total capacity is 1,159 visitors.

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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of the WTF

There is also a 5,837 sq. meter Administrative Center and a Research Institute. A clutch of traditional Korean style buildings are reserved for the sport’s elder statesmen: its grandmasters. Part of this complex, an inner-sanctum for the sport’s top practitioners, complete with walled garden and lotus pool, is off-limits to the public.

The Taekwondowon also features a three-story observatory and a pavilion overlooking a traditional-style Korean garden.

Between and among the valley’s man-made

facilities are streams, copses, waterfalls, walking trails – all overlooked by Muju’s wooded hillsides. Hence, taekwondo’s new mecca offers everyone from grandmasters to visiting laymen an appropriate environment to refresh body, mind and spirit.

According to its promoters, the Taekwondowon is “a place dreamed of by taekwondo practitioners the world over.”

They may be right.

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187

Events Calendar 2014-2015

2014 Date

Place

Event

Date

Place

Event

Feb. 8-9

Trelleborg, Sweden

Trelleborg Open 2014

G-1

Date

Place

Event

May 23-25

Alicante, Spain

Spanish Open 2014

G-1

Aug. 22-24

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Argentina Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

Feb. 11-16

Luxor, Egypt

1st Luxor Open

G-2

May 25-28

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Asian Taekwondo Championships

G-4

Aug. 29-31

San Jose, Costa Rica

Costa Rica Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

Feb. 13-16

Montreal, Canada

Canada Open International Taekwondo Tournament

G-1

May (TBD)

Gaborone, Botswana

All African Games for Juniors

N/A

Sept. 11-15

Moscow, Russia

4th International G1 Ranking Taekwondo Tournament RussianOpen 2014

G-1

Feb. 18-24

Las Vegas, USA

U.S Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-2

May 31 - June 1

Innsbruck, Austria

Austrian Open

G-1

Sept. 19 - Oct 4

Incheon, Korea

2014 Incheon Asian Games

G-4

Feb. 20-22

Fujairah, UAE

2nd Fujairah Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

TBD

TBD

5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships

N/A

Sept. 21

Ramla, Israel

12th Israel Open Championships

G-1

Feb. 21-23

Tehran, Iran

4th Asian Clubs Championships

N/A

June 7-8

Lausanne, Switzerland

Swiss Open 2014

G-1

TBD

Tunisia

African Cup Taekwondo Championships 2014

N/A

Feb. 24-26

Tehran, Iran

25th Fajr International Open

G-1

June 8-14

Hohhot, China

13th World University Taekwondo Championships

G-1

Oct. (TBC)

Paranรก, Brazil

Brazil Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

Feb. 27 - March 1

Manama, Bahrain

6th Bahrain Open

G-1

June 18-19

Port Moresby, Papua NewGuinea

2014 Oceania Taekwondo Championships

G-4

Oct. (TBC)

TBD

2014 WTF World Grand-Prix Series 2

G-4

March 15-16

Eindhoven, Netherlands

41st Lotto Dutch Open Taekwondo Championships 2014

G-2

June 20-22

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Bolivia Open

G-1

Oct. 3-5

Kharkov, Ukraine

Ukraine Open Cup

G-1

March 15-17

Santiago, Chile

South American Games

G-1

June 21-22

Port Moresby, Papua NewGuinea

Papua New Guinea Open

G-1

Queretaro, Mexico

Pan American Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

March 20-21

Taipei City, Chinese Taipei

WTF Qualification Tournament for Nanjing 2014 YouthOlympic Games

N/A

July 11-16

Gyeongju, Korea

2014 Gyeongju Korea Open International TaekwondoChampionships

G-2

Oct. 18-19

Belgrade, Serbia

Galeb Belgrade Trophy - Serbia Open 2014

March 23-26

Taipei City, Chinese Taipei

10th WTF World Junior Taekwondo Championships

N/A

July 13-15

Puebla, Mexico

Mexico Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

Oct. 30-Nov. 2

Aguascalientes, Mexico

9th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

N/A

April 4-6

Santo Domingo, Dominican Rep.

Santo Domingo Open International Taekwondo Tournament

G-1

July (TBC)

TBD

2014 WTF World Grand-Prix Series 1

G-4

Nov. 5-9

Bangkok, Thailand

2014 Thailand Open International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

April 8-25

Kish Island, Iran

West Asian Games

G-1

July 19-21

Mexico City, Mexico

Pan Am Olmypic Festival

N/A

Nov. 7-10

Vancouver, Canada

Pan Am Senior Championships and Pan Am Para-TaekwondoChampionships

April 11-13

Hamburg, Germany

German Open 2014

G-1

July 24-27

Baku, Azerbaijan

1st WTF World Cadet Taekwondo Championships

N/A

Nov. 14-16

Antalya, Turkey

1st Turkish Open Taekwondo Tournament

April 17-20

Chisinau, Moldova

Moldova Open 2014

G-1

Aug. (TBD)

Tunis, Tunisia

African Senior Taekwondo Championships

G-4

Nov. 15-16

Zagreb, Croatia

20th Zagreb - Croatia Open

G-1

April 25-27

Kos Island, Greece

Greece Open 2014 G1 Ranking Taekowndo International Tournament

G-1

Aug. 8-10

Sogamoso, Colombia

Open of Las America International Taekwondo Championships

G-1

Nov. 15-18

Veracruz, Mexico

Central & Caribbean Games

G-1

May 1-5

Baku, Azerbaijan

European Senior Championships

G-4

Aug. 15-17

Sydney, Australia

2014 Australian Open

G-2

Dec. 13-14

Paris, France

10th Tournoi International de Paris

G-1

Tunis, Tunisia

4th International Carthage Open

G-1

Aug. 16 - 28 (TKD 17-21)

Nanjing, China

Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games

N/A

Dec. (TBC)

TBD

2014 WTF World Grand-Prix Final

G-8

May 10-11

G

G

Oct. 16-19

G

G-1

2015 Date

Place

Event

G

TBD

Chelyabinsk, Russia

2015 WTF World Taekwondo Championships

TBD

HCMC, Vietnam

10th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

N/A

June (TBC)

Baku, Azerbaijan

2015 European Games

G-4

July (TBC)

TBD

2015 WTF World Grand-Prix Series 1

G-4

July 10-26

Toronto, Canada

Toronto 2015 Pan American Games

G-4

July 15-Aug 1

Brazzaville, Congo

2015 All Africa Games

G-4

July (TBC)

Gwangju, Korea

2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade

G-2

Sept. (TBC)

TBD

2015 WTF World Grand-Prix Series 2

G-4

Oct. (TBC)

TBD

2015 WTF World Grand-Prix Series 3

G-4

Dec. (TBC)

TBD

2015 WTF World Grand-Prix Final

G-8

G-12

G-4 G-1

189

2014 ISSN 1599-3779

Publisher / Dr. Chungwon Choue, President Editor-in Chief / Jean-Marie Ayer, Secretary General Magazine Director / Seok-Jae Kang, PR Deputy Secretary General Editors / Andrew Salmon, Olof Hansson, Corbin Min, Eil-Chul Kim Contributing Photographer / Denis Sekretev, Seuk-Je Lee, Jin-Ho Lee Designed by / DN (d-n@daum.net)

The WTF is delighted to bring you the official publication of the federation. The WTF Taekwondo magazine epitomizes out enthusiasm and progressive mindset in leading taekwondo and the WTF in the new century.

The WTF Taekwondo magazine is published annually. It is a summary of the previous year’s events, competition results and happenings throughout the world of taekwondo. It provides the events of this year, interviews with taekwondo stars and useful information on taekwondo.

Š 2014 World Taekwondo Federation This publication and its contents may not be reproduced, even in part, in any form, without the written permission of the WTF.

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