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All of your smile is beautiful after finishing the game. Win or lose
doesn't matter anymore as you have fought through a long & arduous
training. However KP&P will do the best to prevent any wrong decision that might affect your training. And KP&P will cheer you up
Presidents Message
onumental development and unprecedented popularity have been enjoyed by the WTF and the taekwondo family over the past 40 years. Though the diaspora of taekwondo started years before the WTFs
foundation, the formalization of the governing body
enabled the institutionalization of the taekwondo movement and
laid down the infrastructure of what has evolved into one of the most
popular sports in the world.
The legacies that have been forged by the forefathers of taekwondo,
and new legacies that are currently being created, will last for years to
come and inspire generations. Over the past nine years, technological
revolutions have carried taekwondo into the 21st century and made
it one of the fairest and most transparent sports in the world. These
innovations led to the successful results of the Singapore 2010 Youth
Olympic Games and the London 2012 Olympic Games.
With its membership now standing at 204 member national associations, the WTF is very proud of how far we have come. Not only have
behind. Taekwondo and the WTF are open to any and all, regardless
of affiliation, who wish to compete in WTF-sanctioned or -promoted
events and who are willing to follow WTF rules and regulations.
During this time of innovation, new initiatives to display the dynamic
nature of our sport are being implemented. Events such as the WTF
Grand Prix Series will allow more opportunities for the top athletes
around the world to compete head-to-head for coveted qualification
places. More emphasis on sport presentations during championships
will also allow for a more spectator-friendly experience and greater
opportunities for promotion. These are just a few of the ideas that
have emerged from the free flow of ideas from our members and will
be a driving force toward the future.
More milestones are heading our way as we celebrate the 40th year of
the WTF. There is no doubt that great things lie ahead for our organization and our sport as we continue to stand together in our common
cause. Inspiration lies in every corner for the world and it is taekwondo that is leading the way to this destination.
Chungwon Choue
President
World Taekwondo Federation
EUROPE (49)
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.Latvia 28.Lithuania 29.Luxembourg 30.Macedonia 31.Malta 32.Moldova 33.Monaco 34.Montenegro 35.The Netherlands 36.Norway 37.Poland
38.Portugal 39.Romania 40.Russia 41.San Marino 42.Serbia 43.Slovak Republic 44.Slovenia 45.Spain 46.Sweden 47.Switzerland 48.Turkey 49.Ukraine
EUROPE
49
ASIA (43)
PAN
AMERICA
ASIA
44
43
AFRICA
AFRICA (49)
49
OCEANIA
19
OCEANIA (19)
INNOVATION
84
Coming Soon to a Stadium Near You: WTF World Grand Prix Series
86
88
92
94
Presidents Message
100
110
116
117
120
122
124
130
LEGACIES
12
16
132
134
22
24
28
20
144
OLYMPIC REVIEW
34
42
52
London Stars
58
Results
CHAMPIONSHIPS
162
164
166
170
174
PART 1
Legacies
Legacies
Coming to America
How, where, when and why did you get into taekwondo?
Even though my main martial art was judo in the 1950s, I was also interested in other sports and competed in ssireum (Korean traditional wrestling), football, and track and field. I trained in taekwondo and kendo in high school. Unlike many who studied martial arts for self defense in
the post-Korean War era, sports competition was my main focus. I was able to win in both ssireum and judo in middle and high school, winning
numerous sacks of rice through ssireum competition! I also competed successfully in track and field at the annual Korean National Sports Festivals. I grew serious about taekwondo in the military and earned my 3rd degree black belt before I left Korea in 1963. I started my taekwondo
teaching career the second day I arrived in the United States! I faithfully followed the technical guidelines and rank promotion of the Kukkiwon
and disregarded kwan (the old taekwondo school) affiliations. I still firmly believe that the unified technical leadership of the Kukkiwon, with
the support and collaboration of the WTF, is necessary for taekwondos successful globalization.
How has the profile of taekwondo changed in the United States since you moved there?
Most early Korean instructors promoted their studio, or dojang, as Korean karate until taekwondo was recognized and unified by the Amateur
Athletic Union, or AAU, in 1974 and the United States Olympic Comittee, or USOC, in 1978. American media was unable to pronounce or spell
taekwondo properly and still some refer to it as tai kwon do. Today, there are thousands of taekwondo masters operating private studios
and organizations and these leaders have been involved in the globalization of taekwondo. After the 1988 Seoul Olympics, many instructors of
other styles of martial arts (karate, kung fu, etc.) changed their studio names to taekwondo. Every given weekend in the USA, there are over 100
different tournaments with more than 1,000 participants, and taekwondo-related technical clinics and symposiums.
12
How did you get taekwondo accepted as part of the curriculum at Berkeley?
I arrived at the University of California at Berkeley after teaching two years in the Montana university system. Judo had been rooted in the
university since the 1930s but there were no other martial arts taught. I implemented taekwondo classes as credit courses with the experience
I had accumulated at the University of Georgia as a graduate student, and at the University of Montana and Eastern Montana University as faculty. The courses were highly successful and eventually taekwondo became the most popular martial art taught at the University of California
among judo, karate, wushu and taijiquan. In fact, I developed the University of California Martial Arts Program (UCMAP) in 1969, now recognized
internationally as one of the most innovative and successful programs in a university setting, as an extracurricular activity to develop a scientific
understanding of the physical and spiritual implications of human performance.
What have been your own best and worst moments in taekwondo?
I have had setbacks but always followed the Asian philosophy of soosungyeosee (follow the characteristics of water). Water flows to lower
ground despite obstacles, eventually reaching the ocean. My best moment was the recognition of taekwondo as a United States amateur
sports governing body of the AAU in 1974. This was the second body after Koreas Amateur Sports Association to recognize taekwondo as an
official national sport. The other accomplishment was a Korean government one million dollar endowment for taekwondo and other martial
arts in honor of Dr. Ken Min, resulting in a permanent commitment to taekwondo instruction at the University of California, Berkeley. And as a
tenured faculty member in Physical Education at Berkeley, I envisioned early taekwondo as a compulsory sport of the Summer Universiade. It
was approved from the 2017 Summer Universiade, with the strong support of the WTF leadership, after 12 World University Taekwondo Championships and five Summer Universiades as an adopted sport.
13
Legacies
Legacies
Going Global
Moving Forward
What have been the key developments in taekwondo globally since 1973?
Taekwondo was internationalized after the Korean and Vietnam wars by U.S. Armed Forces personnel. Another factor that contributed to the
success of taekwondo, in my opinion, was the economic miracle developed in Korea in the 1960s and 70s. Other factors were the exceptional
success of the 1988 Olympic Games and the thousands of taekwondo masters who ventured overseas to teach and promote Korean martial
arts. Taekwondo was one of the biggest exports from Korea to the world.
I strongly believe that the current competition rules and regulations of taekwondo should be re-evaluated, keeping in mind several factors: athlete safety, becoming TV-media friendly (such as including poomsae and breaking as a preliminary requirement for kyorugi competition), and
developing an ideal route for Olympians and world champions to be exposed through media. Taekwondo athletes should understand entertainment in addition to competition.
The leadership of WTF founding President Un-yong Kim was key: He not only successfully unified the kwans in Korea, he tirelessly pursued
Olympic recognition during his tenure. Since 2004, the WTF leadership has continued with great success under President Chungwon Choue.
With innovation and transparency, Dr. Choues efforts made taekwondo a core sport for the 2020 Olympics.
There is always room for improvement, such as equipment which is safer, lighter, more dependable, more visible and more flexible - including
the dobok. This should be looked at in three dimensions: the athletes safety, media acceptance, and the spectators viewpoints.
What have been the biggest challenges faced in making taekwondo an international sport?
The biggest challenges have been to overcome cultural and language barriers as well as economic imbalances throughout the world - especially narrow-minded interpretations of sports and martial arts.
Define martial art and sport. What have been the most significant changes from martial art to sport?
Sport is a Western concept of human development of body, mind and spirit by training under coaches. It is based on competition under rules
and regulations, developing a democratic citizenship. Martial art was developed to discover oneself through body, mind and spirit by training
under masters to harmoniously exist. However Western and Asian philosophies are learning from each other on a daily basis and the world is
becoming one.
14
Taekwondo is a participant sport rather than a spectator sport compared to boxing, mixed martial arts, football, basketball, etc
- highly popular televised events, much sought after by advertisers. Should taekwondo seek to make itself a spectator sport?
The aesthetic performance of combative techniques will appeal to media and spectators. Taekwondo has unlimited potential if guided through
flexible and creative rules and regulations based on speed, agility and the ingenuity of coaches and masters. Individual athletes who deliver
creative technical performances will attract the media and spectators. We can help encourage this with rule changes. For example, jump kick
with two feet simultaneously to the body would be five points; a back spin jump kick to a soft object attached to the opponents headgear
would be seven points, and so on.
The WTF has a 40-year history of taking taekwondo global and it now has a secure berth in the Olympics. Is it job done?
In my opinion, no other martial art/sport has been able to globalize as successfully as taekwondo in only 40 years, through the leadership of
the WTF. But even though you are on the right track, if you dont move forward faster than competing sports, you will lose the advantage. I
would recommend that the taekwondo movement integrate scientific, technological, economic, socio-cultural and political developments.
It should continue to develop and enhance knowledge and techniques through scientific, up-to-date development of physical, mental and
spiritual attributes.
15
Legacies
Legacies
Since the WTF took over its administration, taekwondo has exploded onto the global sports scene.
In an article translated by Prof. Russell Ahn, of the University of California at Berkeley, the late Prof. Kyong-myong
Lee takes a look back at the WTFs first four decades
Introduction
2013, the Year of the Snake, is shaping up to be a good one for taekwondo. On February 12, the IOC Executive Board included taekwondo as one
of the 25 core sports for the Olympic Games in 2020. With this seal of approval, 40 years of efforts to globalize taekwondo have been justified.
Today, the World Taekwondo Federation has 204 member nations and an estimated 80 million practitioners. Having grown 12-fold in 40 years,
the WTF is now the worlds seventh largest international sport federation.
It has been a long road. The general meeting for the WTFs establishment was held in 1973, with 35 representatives from 17 countries. Taekwondos acceptance by the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States in 1974 was another catalyst necessary for taekwondos globalization, as
was its joining of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF; since renamed SportAccord) at the 1975 GAISF General
Assembly in Montreal.
1973
17
1984
108
1990
140
1997
153
2000
160
2005
189
2013
204
16
The Sydney Olympics taekwondo event was held in Sydneys Olympic Park State Sports Center with 103 participating athletes - 55 males and 48
females - from 51 countries. The taekwondo events had four weight categories for each gender. Each participating country was allowed to send
a maximum of two male and two female competitors per weight category; the host country was given an exception. The competition rounds
were three minutes per round, with a total of three rounds. If there was a tie at the end of the third round, a sudden death round was added.
The sudden-death round declared the winner based on which competitor scored the first point. Repechage rounds were also adapted so that
competitors who lost in the quarterfinals would get the opportunity to compete for a bronze medal. Therefore, only one gold, one silver and
one bronze medal was awarded per weight category.
Part 1 Legacies > From Korea to the World: 40 Years of the WTF
17
Legacies
Legacies
Following the resignation of Un-yong Kim, after a series of scandals, Dr. Chungwon Choue was elected as WTF president in 2004, during a general assembly meeting in Incheon, Korea, to serve Kims remaining term. Choue was reelected on April 12, 2005 at the general assembly during
the World Taekwondo Championships in Madrid, Spain where he was given a four-year term.
The 2009 19th Mens and the 12th Womens World Taekwondo Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark featured over 1,000 athletes and
officials from 143 countries. For the first time, electronic body protectors with in-built electronic sensors were used to measure impact and
obviate human error in refereeing and judging. The 2011 WTF World
Taekwondo Championships were even bigger, featuring 1,750 athletes
from 149 countries.
Part 1 Legacies > From Korea to the World: 40 Years of the WTF
19
1995
Feb. 15
2000
Sept. 27-30
2004
Taekwondo participated
as an official sport at the
27th Olympic Games in
Sydney, Australia.
2004
Aug. 26-29
Taekwondo participated
in the 28th Olympic
Games in Athens, Greece.
June 11
2005
2005
Mar. 10
An extraordinary WTF
Executive Council Meeting
held in Lausanne,
Switzerland approved the
reform recommendations
from the WTF Reform
Committee.
2005
May 25-27
1980
1973
1975
May 28
Oct. 8
July 17
2006
1988
Sept. 17-20
Taekwondo participated
as a demonstration sport
at the 24th Olympic
Games in Seoul, Korea.
20
Aug. 3-5
Taekwondo participated
as a demonstration sport
at the 25th Olympic
Games in Barcelona, Spain.
Aug. 20-23
2009
Sept. 4
2009
2012
1992
April 12
The taekwondo
competition of the 29th
Olympic Games was held
in Beijing, China.
1973
An extraordinary WTF
Executive Council
recognized Oceania
Taekwondo Union as the
5th Continental Union of
the WTF.
2008
July 20
1994
Sept. 4
2012
Aug. 8-11
The taekwondo
competition of the 30th
Summer Olympic Games
took place in London,
UK.
Nov. 21
June 10-14
Electronic body
protectors and an instant
video replay system were
used for the first time.
June 10
2013
Feb. 12
21
History of the
World Taekwondo
Championships
6th
3rd
Puebla, Mexico
July 15-21, 2013
Madrid, Spain
April 13-17, 2005
Manila, Philippines
Nov. 17-21, 1995
Barcelona, Spain
Oct. 7-11, 1987
Seoul, Korea
May 25-27, 1973
Gyeongju, Korea
May 1-6, 2011
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Feb. 24-27, 1982
5th
1st
Edmonton, Canada
June 2-6, 1999
Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct. 20-23, 1983
Seoul, Korea
Oct. 9-14, 1989
Chicago, U.S.A.
Sept. 15-17, 1977
Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct. 14-18, 2009
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Sept. 24-28, 2003
Beijing, China
May 18-22, 2007
Manila, Philippines
Edmonton, Canada
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Seoul, Korea
Chicago, U.S.A.
Stuttgart, Germany
New York, U.S.A.
2nd
Seoul, Korea
Aug. 28-31, 1975
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4th
7th
Stuttgart, Germany
Oct. 25-28, 1979
Seoul, Korea
Sept. 4-8, 1985
Athens, Greece
Oct. 29-Nov. 3, 1991
7
Copenhagen, Denmark
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Puebla, Mexico
Madrid, Spain
Beijing, China
Barcelona, Spain
Hong Kong, China
Gyeongju, Korea
23
Legacies
Legacies
Dream will soon become reality for Puebla as the city in central
Mexico vows to host the latest - and finest - World Taekwondo
Championships in the sports history
24
The American continent has not hosted World Taekwondo Championships since 1999,
and Mexico has never had this honor. All that changes this summer when, from July
15-21, the worlds super-kickers will converge on Puebla, Mexico, one of the most important exhibition and business centers in Latin America.
Over those seven days, Puebla is expected to welcome 1,500 athletes and more
than 2,000 participants, including coaches, managers and judges, as well an estimated
18,000 spectators per day.
The city was chosen to hold the WTF World Taekwondo Championships 2013
thanks to the efforts made by the municipal, state and federal governments since
April 2, 2012. Then, in the city of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, a meeting of the WTF Council,
comprising 33 members from five continents, voted Puebla as the host.
One of the main drivers of the project has been Ximena Mata Zenteno, Director
of the Municipal Institute of Sport in Puebla, and a top athlete herself. Having the
city of Puebla chosen to be the meeting place and venue of taekwondo participants
from about 150 countries around the world, was no simple matter, she said. However, the effort was worth it and we are proud that the WTF trusted Puebla to receive this
important event and see the dreams of athletes in our city, Puebla and our country,
Mexico, crystallized.
Part 1 Legacies > Milestones > Viva Puebla!
25
Legacies
Legacies
Welcome to Puebla
Located in the geographic center of Mexico, Puebla The City of Angels
- boasts almost 500 years of history and is recognized by UNESCO as part
of world heritage. Its gastronomic traditions are recognized internationally,
and the weather is comfortable all year long.
Moreover, it is a modern, industrial city, ranked as the fourth largest
in Mexico, offering first-class infrastructure, transportation, security, accommodation and health facilities. The city also has a wonderful tradition
of hospitality and this will hopefully result in the 2013 World Taekwondo
Championships being the best ever.
Pueblas Exhibition Center is the largest in Latin America. With an exhibition area of 40,000 sq. meters and a full capacity of 53,000 people, it is
ready to host this magnificent competition. Accommodation options range
from economic pensions through stylish boutiques to five-star deluxe hotels. All are close to the venue. Both public and private health services are
top quality.
Puebla has an international airport, and will be offering local transportation between the airport, hotels and venue, as well as transportation from
Mexico Citys international airport to Puebla.
And Puebla City is considered one of the safest in the country. According
to newspaper The San Francisco Chronicle, Puebla City is ranked the 4th safest
place for tourists in Mexico. The authoritative travel guide, Lonely Planet, found
Puebla the top of its survey Best in Travel Readers Choice 2012, and in January 2012, The New York Times listed Puebla as one of the Best Places to Go.
26
Taekwondo is a modern tradition across Mexico. The father of taekwondo in Mexico is Master Dai-won Moon, who learned taekwondo in his
native Korea before emigrating to the United States for reasons of study.
There he took part in the most important tournaments, always gaining
good results for himself and his students. When invited to teach in Mexico, he accepted and arrived in 1969.
Korean by birth but Mexican by heart, Master Moon became the
main reference for this discipline in Mexico and one of the main authors
of the recognition enjoyed by Mexico in the international arena.
Taekwondo is today the second most popular sport in Mexico after
football. Mexico has had 27 finalists and three world champions: Oscar
Mendiola in Stuttgart, Germany (1979), Edna Diaz in Madrid, Spain (2005)
and Maria de Rosario Espinoza in Beijing, China (2007). In the World Junior Taekwondo Championships, Mexican gold medalists include Luis
Osuna, Idulio Islands, Roman Cesar Ruiz and Carlos Navarro.
It was great news for Mexican sports as a whole when taekwondo
was included in the Olympics. It first appeared as a demonstration sport
in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where Mexico won three bronze medals.
Four years later in Barcelona, taekwondo was again a demonstration
sport, and Mexico won three more medals: one gold and two bronzes.
In Sydney in 2000, taekwondo became a formal part of the program and
since then, Mexico has won at least one medal in every Olympiad.
Victor Estrada won a bronze in Sydney; four years later the brothers
Oscar and Iridia Salazar won silver and bronze in Athens. Beijing 2008
was the best ever: Maria del Rosario Espinoza and Guillermo Perez took
the first golds for Mexico and more recently in the London Olympics
2012, Maria del Rosario Espinosa repeated her winning ways with a
bronze. This makes Mexico the fifth taekwondo power at the Olympic
level, behind Korea, China, the United States and Chinese Taipei.
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28
29
30
31
PART 2
34 London 2012: Taekwondo Comes of Age
42 Taekwondo Demonstration Lights up London 2012
53 London Stars
53 Chinas Double Gold Medalist Wu Jingyu Chases the Dream
58 Results
58 Competition Day 1 - Competition Day 4
66 Medals Table : 63 Qualified NOCs 2012
67 Medals Table : Taekwondo Medalists 2012
68 Olympic Medalists 2012
72 Global Media Talk Taekwondo
74 Photo Gallery Day 1 - Day 4
Olympic Review
Taekwondo
Comes of Age
Seoul-based correspondent Andrew Salmon offers us a front-row seat at the ExCel London arena - the venue for the taekwondo competition at the London Summer Olympic Games
34
35
Olympic Review
Message from
the President of the
International
Olympic
Committee
It has been a long journey from its first
appearance at the Summer Games as a
demonstration sport in Seoul in 1988, then
as an official sport in Sydney in 2000 but
in London 2012, Olympic taekwondo finally
came of age.
From the taekwondo athletes proudly
carrying their nations flags into the arena at
the opening ceremony, through four days of
action-packed bouts showcasing new rules
and equipment, to heroic welcomes of victorious competitors as they returned to their
home countries, London 2012 proved to be
the best Olympics yet for taekwondo, and a
golden moment for this young, but hugely
popular sport.
The World Taek wondo Federation
could wish for no better way of promoting
its sport for generations to come, said Inter-
36
Dear Friends,
On behalf of the Olympic Movement, I would like to convey my best wishes on the
occasion of 2012 Taekwondo Day.
This year, this event has a special significance for the world taekwondo family as it
comes just a few weeks after the London 2012 Olympic Games, during which the
taekwondo tournament was very successful. Many countries won their first medals
in front of packed crowds at the ExCel arena. Through their performances, these
athletes certainly inspired many young people to engage in physical activity and to
strive for excellence through sport while respecting the rules.
I would like to congratulate the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and its President,
Dr Chungwon Choue, as well as the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, Kukkiwon and
the Korea Taekwondo Association for joining forces to undertake such an initiative.
The WTF could wish for no better way of promoting its sport for generations to come.
Since its official debut on the Olympic stage in 2000 in Sydney, 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.
I wish you all an enjoyable celebration and a happy 2012 Taekwondo Day!
Jacques Rogge
IOC President
37
Olympic Review
Kicking Off
Fans in London, or watching the events
unfold on TV, did not have to wait for the
actual taekwondo matches to begin to
spot some of their heroes and heroines:
The sports athletes were prominent even
on opening night.
Taekwondo athletes were flag bearers for 11 national contingents as they
marched into the arena following the
spectacular opening ceremony masterminded by film wunderkind Danny Boyle:
Afghanistan, Armenia, Cambodia, Central
African Republic, the Dominican Republic,
Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco and Yemen.
As the evening wore on, the crowds
hushed as a competitor from the host
38
39
Olympic Review
40
which especially promote the use of high-level kicks, taekwondos specialty, made for
an exciting spectacle. Rule changes spiced
up fights, making it easier to earn points for
head kicks while referees were also given the
power to penalize overly defensive fighters,
Reuters reported.
We want the fights in taekwondo to be
more dynamic and fast-paced so its exciting
to watch, said Jean-Marie Ayer, the WTFs
secretary general.
However, the rule changes were not just
about wooing spectators.
One of the reasons behind them was
to promote safe scoring. In the past, trembling shock - or a no-nonsense knockdown
or knockout - had to be delivered. Now,
competitors only have to lightly contact the
head with the foot to score.
A medical study commissioned by the
WTF after the 2012 London Olympics, found
that the injury rate in the sport is just 0.31
percent. For maximum credibility, the report
cited independent data from French health
insurance provider Mutuelle des Sportifs.
41
Olympic Review
42
43
Olympic Review
One of the most eye-catching and unique sights at the London 2012
Olympic Games were the Sport Presentations- demonstrations of
taekwondos most spectacular techniques, carried out by the WTF
Demonstration Team between the competition bouts.
44
45
Olympic Review
46
47
Olympic Review
While it was left to the actual competitors to demonstrate taekwondos fighting techniques, the WTF Demonstration Team displayed the
sports other aspects - such as aerial kicking, board breaking and synchronized poomsae. With music and special lighting effects adding to
the ambience, the demonstrations entertained spectators and caught the eye of the media during the competitive downtime.
It is safe to say that at London 2012, an enticing new aesthetic element was added to taekwondos Olympic competition.
48
49
Olympic Review
50
51
Olympic Review
Wu Jingyu
Chases the Dream
Chinese super-kicker Wu Jingyu dreamed big. Now, she is kick-starting the dreams of
youth from her own country and from around the world
52
achieve them. Her 13 years of taekwondo training defines her persistence. Now, she dreams of competing in three Olympiads in a row,
like her senior, Chen Zhong - and more than that, to clinch three titles.
As the first Olympic back-to-back champion, Chen was Wus benchmark.
We were fighting together in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, which
was her 3rd successive Olympics, Wu said. I learnt a lot from her, I
felt her power of never giving up, and that is the power that pushes
me to pursue my dreams.
Training is tough, but Wu, to coin a Chinese phrase, eats bitterness with laughter. Its like practicing Buddhism: You have to
stay calm, ignore all disturbances and taste the bitterness as sugar,
Part 2 Olympic Review > London Stars > Wu Jingyu Chases the Dream
53
Olympic Review
she said. Then, when you are looking back, all the tough experiences
will become great memories and will be definitely worth everything.
Yet there was no guarantee that Wu would achieve her dreams, for
between 2008 and 2012, taekwondo was in a state of flux. New competition rules and PSS changed the game. More speed, more combinations and more aggression were the new keys to victory. Would Wu
be able to adapt to this scenario and defend her medal in London?
On August 8, 2012, in the ExCel London arena, Wu set foot on the
champions podium in the womens -49kg category for the second
time. She remembers the great joy of the moment. What is happiness? she asked. To me, happiness is that I can persist in whatever I
like, and I can persist in pursuing my dreams. If one more kick will take
me one step closer to my dreams, why should I stop? My body may
feel exhausted, but my heart is delighted.
Today, Wu, an Olympic taekwondo heroine, is sharing her dream
and inspiring the young generation in China, where she has been invited to schools and universities to share her story.
Youngsters nowadays meet with few setbacks when they are
growing up, so may not have courage and resolution when facing
troubles, she mused. I hope they can be stronger, not only physical-
54
55
Olympic Review
Shes
Not
Jaded
Afghan
Hero
Wins
Bronze
57
Olympic Review
COMPETITION DAY
AUGUST 8, 2012
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59
Olympic Review
COMPETITION DAY
AUGUST 9, 2012
The second day of competitions was organized smoothly with all contests on
schedule. The following were the highlights of the day
1. The host countrys Jade Jones, fighting in the womens -57kg, wrote history by
presenting GB with its first ever gold medal in Olympic taekwondo competition.
That made her a gold medallist in both the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic
Games. She defeated the world No. 1 Li-Cheng Tseng of Chinese Taipei in the semifinal by 10-6 and the world No. 2 Yuzhuo Hou of China in the final by 6-4.
2. Afghanistans Rohullah Nikpah won a bronze for the second consecutive time after Beijing. As in 2008, Nikpahs was the only Olympic medal achieved by the NOC
of Afghanistan. He won the medal in the mens -68kg, while his bronze in Beijing
had been in the mens -58kg.
3. The most dazzling taekwondo competitor and world ranking No. 1 in mens
-68kg, Turkeys Servet Tazegul, finally became an Olympic champion after he defeated his arch-rival Mohamed Bagheri of Iran in the final by 6-5. Tazegul is also an
IOC Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder.
4. This was the first Olympic taekwondo competition in which twins were competing. One of the twins, Lucija Zaninovic of Croatia, had won the bronze medal in
the womens -49kg on the previous day, but her twin sister, Ana Zaninovic, went
out in the round of 16.
5. Serbia appeared in Olympic Games taekwondo competition for the first time
with three athletes. Of them, Dragana Gladovic won the 7th place in the womens
-57kg while Damir Feijic won 9th place in the mens -68kg.
6. Three other IOC Olympic Solidarity scholarship holders competed on this day:
Andrea Paoli of Lebanon and Bineta Diedhiou of Senegal and David Boui of Central Africa.
60
61
Olympic Review
COMPETITION DAY
The following were the highlights as the taekwondo bouts entered the penultimate
day of competition
1. Sebastian Crismanich earned the gold medal in the mens -80kg for his country, Argentina,
by defeating Nicolas Garcia Hemme of Spain in the final by 1-0. It was the first Olympic taekwondo gold for Argentina and would prove to be the only gold medal achieved by the NOC
of Argentina at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
2. Koreas Kyung-seon Hwang became one of only three athletes to win medals at three different Olympic Games, the others being Hadi Saei of Iran and Steven Lopez of USA. Hwang
won the gold in the womens -67kg by comfortably defeating Nur Tatar of Turkey in the final
by 12-5. Tatar, who went home with a a silver medal, is an IOC Olympic Solidarity scholarship
holder.
3. Lutalo Muhammad of Great Britain, who had replaced the world ranking No. 1, Aaron Cook,
in GBs national selection, won a bronze medal after defeating Arman Yeremyan of Armenia in the bronze medal contest in the mens -80kg. The unlucky loser, Yeremyan, is an IOC
Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder; his place on the mats marked the first appearance of
the NOC of Armenia in Olympic taekwondo.
4. It was the first appearance of Grenada in Olympic taekwondo. Andrea St Bernard competed in the womens -67kg and won 7th place.
5. Farkhod Negmatov of Tajikistan was also an IOC Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder. He
won 11th place in the mens -80kg. It was also the first appearance of Tajikistan in Olympic
taekwondo.
62
63
Olympic Review
COMPETITION DAY
64
65
Olympic Review
Medals Table
MALE
FEMALE
Cambodia
1
1
Iran
Korea
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guatemala
Jamaica
Mexico
Panama
Peru
Vietnam
Yemen
USA
1
1
1
FEMALE
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Finland
France
1
Netherlands
Turkey
Ukraine
66
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
Spain
ESP
TAZEGUL Servet
Turkey
TUR
Iran
IRI
United States
USA
Afghanistan
AFG
MOLFETTA Carlo
Italy
ITA
OBAME Anthony
Gabon
GAB
SILVER
LEE Dae-hoon
Korea
KOR
BRONZE
BRONZE
DENJSENKO Alexey
Russia
RUS
JENNINGS Terrence
MUNOZ Oscar
Colombia
COL
NIKPAH Rohullah
under 80kg
over 80kg
GOLD
GOLD
Argentina
ARG
SILVER
SILVER
4
1
Spain
ESP
BRONZE
BRONZE
MUHAMMAD Lutalo
Great Britain
GBR
DESPAIGNE Robelis
Cuba
CUB
SARMIENTO Mauro
Italy
ITA
LIU Xiaobo
China
CHN
TOTAL
Womens Division
JONES Jade
Great Britain
GBR
HOU Yuzhuo
China / CHN
CHN
Cote dlvoire
Egypt
1
1
Nation
3
3
Mali
Morocco
Nigeria
Senegal
1
1
under 49kg
under 57kg
GOLD
GOLD
WU Jingyu
China
CHN
Tunisia
SILVER
Spain
ESP
SONKHAM Chanatip
Thailand
THA
HARNOIS Marlene
France
FRA
ZANINVOIC Lucija
Croatia
CRO
TSENG Li-Cheng
Chinese Taipei
TPE
MANDIC Milica
Serbia
SRB
GRAFFE Anne-Caroline
France
FRA
BRONZE
MALE
FEMALE
TOTAL
BRONZE
1
1
Gabon
1
1
SILVER
Samoa
Algeria
FEMALE
-49kg -57kg -67kg +67kg
MALE
-58kg -68kg -80kg +80kg
New Zealand
Australia
Nation
Slovenia
Sweden
Italy
Spain
Germany
Greece
1
1
TOTAL
1
Croatia
Serbia
GOLD
SILVER
GOLD
OCEANIA (4 NOCs)
MALE
Poland
2
3
under 68kg
Great Britain
1
1
Lebanon
Uzbekistan
TOTAL
Argentina
Canada
Tajikistan
Brazil
Kyrgyzstan
Nation
FEMALE
Kazakhstan
TOTAL
Mens Division
under 58kg
MALE
Jordan
Russia
Japan
Nation
Wild cards
China
Thailand
Host NOC
Afghanistan
Chinese Taipei
4
1
1
1
GOLD
HWANG Kyung-seon
Korea
KOR
SILVER
SILVER
TATAR Nur
3
2
over 67kg
GOLD
under 67kg
Turkey
TUR
BRONZE
BRONZE
FROMM Helena
Germany
GER
BARYSHNIKOVA Anastasia
Russia
RUS
McPHERSON Paige
United States
USA
Mexico
MEX
67
Olympic Review
O LY M P I C
MEDALISTS
2012
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
SILVER
GOLD
Womens
Womens
Under
Under
49kg
57kg
Jingyu Wu (China)
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
SILVER
GOLD
Mens
Mens
Under
Under
58kg
68kg
68
69
Olympic Review
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
SILVER
GOLD
Womens
Womens
Under
Over
67kg
67kg
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
BRONZE
SILVER
GOLD
Mens
Mens
Under
Over
80kg
80kg
70
71
Olympic Review
Global Media
Talk Taekwondo
72
73
Olympic Review
Photo Gallery
Day 1
74
75
Olympic Review
Day 2
76
77
Olympic Review
Day 3
78
79
Olympic Review
PART 3
Day 4
80
81
84 Coming Soon to a Stadium Near You: WTF World Grand Prix Series
86 Armor: No Longer Just for Protection
88 Pressure Testing: WTF Referee Training
92 Taekwondo is Safe! Report Gives Sport Thumbs-up
94 Setting a New Standard
Innovation
84
85
Innovation
86
Team Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in June 2009, and subsequently at the WTF World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark,
in October of the same year.
In February 2010, revised rules related to the PSS were introduced to introduce consistency in scoring. By March of that year, the
WTF was confident enough with the PSS to announce its use at the
London 2012 Summer Olympics, and the system was successfully integrated with the Swiss Timing system.
In the glare of the global spotlight, the system proved equal to
the stresses of Olympic competition. Even so, in recognition of the
fact that no technology is perfect, a PSS working group meeting was
held in February at Lausannes Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, or EPFL.
Professors Jan-Anders Manson and Kasper Schadegg from EPFL
joined representatives of PSS manufacturers and members of the
WTF to work on the next stage of the PSS evolution proof positive
that the WTF is transferring a piece of fighting equipment from ancient battlefields to the sporting arenas of the modern world.
87
Innovation
Pressure Testing:
88
cellence and the collaboration of a lot of people behind it, said Campos. We are just touching the tip of the iceberg so to speak; there
will still be changes that will happen to further enhance the game.
What those changes may be remain to be seen, but Maynard-Lister said that the PSS still has a few areas that could be improved.
Both Campos and Maynard-Lister were full of praise for the Instant
Video Replay system. It eliminates any form of protest, therefore the
true winner is always declared, reckoned Campos, but Maynard-Lister said she would like to see Even better cameras in the future that
can capture all the action and all the angles.
In its post-Olympics evaluation, the WTF notes that there need to
be numerous selection camps for Rio 2016, and there needs to be a
strengthened course for the review jury.
Naturally, this year, training continues apace. A range of referee
courses for both kyorugi and poomsae were being held throughout
the year.
But given the time and monetary commitments required to attend training camps, not to mention the stresses of the task for
which no medals are given, and no glory won who would want to
be a referee?
Sharing your personal experiences is one way to motivate future
referees: Especially how you started, your failures, your hardships so
that you can relate it to referees who shared the same passion as you,
said Campos.I hope I will be given the opportunity to teach future
referees around the world to impart my knowledge and experiences.
89
Innovation
Country
Brunei
Chinese Taipei
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Iran
Asia
Korea
Europe
Malaysia
Nepal
Singapore
Croatia
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Russia
Sweden
Turkey
Argentina
Canada
Costa Rica
Mexico
Pan
America
Panama
U.S.A.
Egypt
Africa
Libya
Oceania
90
Australia
New Zealand
IR Number
Name
Pro Date
Birth Date
Gender
015-0687
2008/12/31
1949/12/19
Male
010-0568
2000/12/31
1946/04/27
Male
010-0570
2004/06/30
1951/03/10
Male
010-0560
KIM Sa Ok
2002/12/31
1944/04/24
Male
006-0257
2002/06/30
1948/10/09
Male
024-0987
2010/06/30
1957/02/05
Male
018-0852
Acen Tanuwijaya
2011/12/31
1944/08/23
Male
018-2053
Herman Andikara
2012/12/31
1954/12/24
Male
025-0002
Mojtaba Nazmdeh
2010/12/31
1957/03/23
Male
001-0154
1994/09/10
1942/05/26
Male
001-0155
1994/09/10
1943/03/03
Male
002-0070
2003/06/30
1947/01/15
Male
002-0083
2001/12/31
1948/07/18
Male
002-0086
2003/12/31
1942/03/05
Male
002-0088
2000/12/31
1945/09/01
Male
002-0118
KIM Ki Yong
2002/06/30
1948/03/15
Male
002-0282
1998/06/30
1946/03/02
Male
016-0737
OH Soo Gon
2008/12/31
1956/01/12
Male
016-0750
2009/12/31
1959/09/15
Male
016-0752
2008/06/30
1954/09/14
Male
016-0753
CHOI Jung Ho
2000/12/31
1954/09/22
Male
016-0766
2008/06/30
1943/08/20
Male
025-0004
2012/12/31
1949/03/24
Male
015-0692
2008/12/31
1961/02/06
Male
015-0685
2010/12/31
1959/09/15
Male
006-0594
2001/06/30
1948/02/14
Male
021-0952
Miroslav Brezan
2011/12/31
1951/02/12
Male
013-0623
Benjamin John
2008/12/31
1953/03/31
Male
013-0640
2008/06/30
1947/08/24
Male
008-1034
Tricoli Lorenzo
2000/12/31
1951/10/05
Male
001-0170
1998/12/31
1939/12/05
Male
030-0002
Sergey A.Danilov
2010/12/31
1951/06/09
Male
029-0134
Chakir Chelbat
2011/12/31
1964/08/28
Male
013-0632
2009/12/31
1950/06/27
Male
015-0712
2012/12/31
1965/12/04
FeMale
001-0162
1994/09/10
1944/10/25
Male
008-0572
2002/12/31
1950/07/03
Male
015-0684
YU Myung Ok
2007/06/30
1952/08/21
Male
029-0045
Linda Kwan
2012/12/31
1960/03/23
FeMale
020-0938
2011/12/31
1953/05/26
Male
012-1061
Sergio Chavez
2005/12/31
1955/09/08
Male
015-0703
2010/06/30
1952/09/25
Male
013-0604
Varo Barragan
2006/08/02
1955/09/24
Male
001-0175
1994/09/10
1939/06/17
Male
002-0281
2000/12/31
1942/11/25
Male
002-0069
2000/12/31
1941/05/03
Male
002-0072
PARK In Kon
2006/06/30
1945/04/04
Male
002-0100
2000/12/31
1943/02/03
Male
005-0225
1996/01/01
1937/07/10
Male
013-0625
Gregory S. Kailian
2010/06/30
1946/05/23
Male
019-0861
2000/12/31
1951/05/11
Male
019-0866
Leon T. Preston
2012/12/31
1947/02/18
Male
019-2059
William Sullivan
2011/12/31
1950/06/13
Male
018-0848
JEONG Ki Young
2006/12/31
1946/06/08
Male
018-1082
2010/12/31
1955/10/26
Male
013-0634
2007/06/30
1948/04/23
Male
013-0633
Snosy A. Mohamed
2009/06/30
1953/05/08
Male
029-0123
2010/12/31
1952/12/10
Male
020-0939
Stephen Liu
2011/12/31
1957/12/13
Male
No.
Age
Name
Continent
NOC
Remarks
32
Liang Si
Asia
CHN
46
Shahram Arbabi
Asia
IRI
47
Asia
KOR
50
Abubakr Kordi
Asia
KSA
35
Julie Dib
Asia
LIB
50
Asia
PHI
40
Asia
TPE
42
Kwang Cheol Oh
Europe
AZE
35
Renata Crkvenac
Europe
CRO
10
54
David Coupar
Europe
DEN
11
45
Europe
ESP
12
39
Hlynur Gissurarson
Europe
ISL
13
56
Mohammed Argoubi
Europe
NED
14
41
Europe
NOR
15
33
Andrey Khegay
Europe
RUS
16
32
Predrag Tesovic
Europe
SRB
17
34
Ahmed El Mofty
Africa
EGY
18
39
Moshoeshoe Mokake
Africa
LES
19
50
Africa
MLI
20
59
Oceania
AUS
21
50
Oceania
NZL
22
53
Pan Am
ARU
No. of Referees :
30
23
44
Pan Am
CAN
No. of NOCs :
30
24
59
Pan Am
CRC
Female :
25
51
Pan Am
MEX
Asia :
26
47
Neydis Tavarez
Pan Am
PUR
27
52
Pan Am
USA
28
64
Asia
SIN
29
42
Xuan Thanh Vu
Asia
30
59
Denis Odjo
Europe
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Event
2012 London
6 (20%)
9
Europe :
10
Pan Am :
Review Jury
Africa :
VIE
Review Jury
Oceania :
FRA
Review Jury
Average Age :
Female
46
91
Innovation
Taekwondo is Safe!
Report Gives Sport Thumbs-up
Can a sport in which the ultimate technique is a spinning kick to the head truly be safe?
The answersurprisinglyis yes
92
It is a sport in which power is tested by smashing boards with first and feet, in which kicks are
delivered with lunges and jumps, and in which
the top technique is a spinning kick to the head
yet taekwondo is one of the safest events in the
Olympic program, a report has revealed.
The injury rate of the contact sport in France
was at an all-time low of just 0.31 percent, the report
by Dr. Paul Viscogliosi, chairman of the WTF Medical Committee and a doctor in the Department of
Orthaepedic Surgery in Centro-Hospitalo-universitaire de Lyon Edouard Herriot, France, found.
The sources for the report, which was completed in 2012, were health insurance providers
Mutuelle de Sports, and the French Taekwondo
Federation. Statistics cited covered 52,397 registered insurance policy holders, aged between 5
and 65, over the years 2008-2012.
The research found that although rule changes now reward difficult kicks to the head with
maximum points, the implementation of impact-measuring devices embedded in the armor
means that it is no longer necessary for fighters to
strike with maximum force.
As the electronic sensors will pick up even
moderate hits, fighters are encouraged to pull
off the most difficult and athletic techniques, but
without having to impress referees and judges
by delivering maximum power.
Due to this, the injury rate in the sport in
France plummeted 16.2 percent in 2011-2012,
and 18.4 percent in 2008-2009, resulting in an
overall injury ratio of just 0.31 percent.
93
Innovation
10
8
11
12
13
7
14
15
6
16
17
18
5
19
20
4
10
21
22
23
3
24
25
2
26
27
28
1
11
29
30
INCH
CM
0
12
World Poomsae Champion Charlie Chong is dancing to his own drum as he leads taekwondos
innovative new competitive format into the future
of poomsae with music, acrobatic skills, and artistic interpretation. The new format has grown in popularity in many WTF
Member National Associations and was adopted as the newest
competition discipline at last years World Championships in
Colombia after debuting as a demonstration event in 2011 in
Vladivostok, Russia.
Chong had been excited to learn about the addition of a
freestyle division to poomsae competition.
I have always been fascinated by that precision and power
in the moves of poomsae, so to now be able to take that to the
next level was really exciting for me, he said. When my master and I heard of the news, we got to work trying things out
and seeing what we could put together.
It was no easy task. The master-student duo agonized so
much over Chongs routine that they were tweaking it in the
wee hours on the eve of the world championships.
When we started training sessions and we saw the level
of competition that I would face, we knew everyone had come
prepared, Chong recalled. My master and I decided we needed to up my level of difficulty, so three days before the competition, we revamped my routine.
That revamping went down to the line.
It was late in the day at the 7th WTF World Taekwondo Team Championships in
Tunja, Colombia, but the packed stadium was humming with repressed excitement. Word had spread. Audience members already present were staying on,
while, despite the late hour, more seats were filling with additional spectators
who had heard about the first performance of the young man who now stood at
center court, waiting quietly for his 90 seconds to begin.
Charlie Chongs performance in the qualifying round had overcome all competitors. The Canadians final performance was now just moments away. In the
eye of the storm, he waited quietly for his cue to take position. The clock ticked.
The signal came. He bowed and paced to the center of the competition area.
The music began. As Chong exploded into his choreography of kicks, leaps and
spins, the entire audience roared its excitement.
In just a minute-and-a-half, it was over. Chong, panting, waited as the scores
were collated. Minutes later, the decision was declared: The Canadian was
crowned the WTFs first-ever world freestyle poomsae champion.
Freestyle poomsae is the newest addition to the repertoire of competition
formats at the world championship level. It incorporates the traditional forms
94
95
Innovation
96
97
PART 4
Around
the
Taekwondo News, Personalities and
Developments from across the Globe
100
110
116
117
120
122
124
130
131
132
134
144
Sky-High Demonstration
Takes Taekwondo into
Stratosphere
Taekwondo has raised its visibility in Dubai with a spectacular demonstration
on the helipad of one of the Middle Easts most iconic buildings
100
101
102
103
104
105
The three-day Fujairah Open International Taekwondo Championships are one of a number of
international taekwondo events taking place this
year as the sports popularity continues to accelerate
around the world.
The taekwondo demonstration took place before
the commencement of the Open, which included a
senior competition, involving 147 athletes from 20
counties, a junior competition, involving 72 athletes
from 15 countries, and a cadet competition, involving 60 athletes from 11 countries.
106
107
108
109
In the interest of helping the less fortunate, the WTF has instituted a corps
of taekwondo volunteers. This is their story
110
111
112
113
Continent
Countries
Thailand
Asia
(11)
Africa
(9)
Europe
(2)
Pan
America
(2)
Oceania
(3)
Total
114
No. of
Period of
Members Dispatch
8
2012.1.25 - 2.28
Cambodia
2012.2.5 - 2.28
Laos
2012.2.1 - 2.29
Singapore
2012.1.15 - 2.29
Malaysia
2012.2.5 - 2.25
Indonesia
2012.2.8 - 2.29
Bangladesh
2012.1.15 - 2.26
Sri Lanka
2012.1.15 - 2.27
Myanmar
2012.1.15 - 2.27
Kazakhstan
2012.1.15 - 2.26
Uzbekistan
2013.2.1 - 3.5
Ethiopia
2012.1.19 - 2.24
Sudan
2012.1.21 - 2.26
D.R. of the
Congo
2012.1.16 - 2.26
Senegal
2012.1.16 - 2.26
Cote dlvoire
2012.1.10 - 2.27
Togo
2012.1.20 - 2.29
Sierra Leone
2012.1.20 - 2.29
South Africa
2012.2.3 - 2.26
Ruanda
2012.2.3 - 2.26
Greece
2012.2.3 - 2.26
Sweden
2012.2.1 - 3.1
Colombia
2012.1.17 - 2.26
Brazil
2012.1.15 - 2.19
Micronesia
2012.1.15 - 2.19
Papua New
Guinea
2012.2.1 - 2.29
Fiji
2012.2.4- 2.28
27
123
Period of
No. of
1st
July-Aug.
2nd
Jan.-Feb.
3rd
July-Aug.
4th
Jan.-Feb.
5th
July-Aug.
6th
Jan.-Feb.
7th
July-Aug.
8th
Jan.-Feb.
9th
July-Aug.
10th
Jan.-Feb.
Term
Total
Dispatch
2008
2009
2009
2010
2010
2011
2011
2012
2012
2013
115
CHOI
116
I have learned taekwondo since I was five and met many good masters and seniors, he said in interviews. I have learned a lot from them
on how to be a good person. Learning taekwondo helps develop not
only the body, but also the character.
The young athlete also got a bit of exercise out of the event, when,
having given away his shoes, he had to return to his hotel barefoot.
The pavements were scorching, he told local media, So I sprinted
the eight minutes back to my hotel!
117
the last bout of the day. Finally, the hour arrived. Vika stepped onto
the mat. Could a girl with only nine months of training fight at this
level of competition?
She rose to the occasion. Gold! The disabled girl who had been abandoned at birth was at last a champion.
It was Ukraines first-ever medal in para-taekwondo, and the first-ever
medal for Ukraine in a Senior World Championship. We were ecstatic
and all our friends shared our delight. I had never seen Vika looking
joyful. Now, at last, I did. Sport in this case, taekwondo truly has
the power to realize dreams and to change lives.
Back home, the euphoria soon evaporated. In Ukraine, we were told
that it was a random gold medal. Moreover, the ministry told us
there were few athletes and few countries competing in Aruba. So
no. There would be no prize money. No training grants. No financial
support for the next world championships.
We were unhappy, but got back into training. That is when even worse
news hit us. Vikas shoulder was in pain. We found that her operation had
been unsuccessful. Her condition deteriorated; she has cysts on her shoulder and is in constant pain. Ukrainian doctors are unable to help her.
This is Vikas story, up to 2013. She is a fine student, a gifted athlete, a
tribute to our sport. Life has not been kind to her. She deserves betterhence this story.
118
And in November, I competed at the Swiss Open, where I was fortunate enough to win a bronze. Athletes from Nuremburg Taekwondo
Club zer, hearing Vikas story, generously donated some of their
own money.
With all this assistance from friends and fellow athletes, our Aruba
dream could be realized.
The flight was a long one and the first overseas trip for Vika. I worried about her shoulder, but she looked confident. Aruba proved
beautiful. The hotel was excellent, all the people were very kind. Next
morning we had training, then weigh-in and registration. I was very
nervous, but tried not to show it to Vika. I had a bad night...
The big day arrived. Vika seemed even more focused than usual. The
opening ceremony was hot and loud. I could hear Vika whispering to
herself, I must win, win.
Her first match was easy enough and by 3 p.m, she was ready for the
final. Then we heard that her match had been put back: It would be
Special Appeal
As her coach, I make this plea for help to the global taekwondo family.
If anyone knows of any way we can obtain specialized medical treatment
for Vika, please contact me, Yuliya Volkova, at:
volkovajula@bigmir.net
00380993848825
I speak Russian, Croatian, German and English. I can send computer
scans and detailed information of Vikas shoulder to anyone who may
be able to assist. Moreover, Vika was greatly impressed by the Koreans
in Aruba. If anyone can help bring her to Korea to see taekwondo in its
home country, this would be a great encouragement. I thank in advance anyone who is able to help change a fellow taekwondo athletes
life for the better.
119
he World Taekwondo Federation has been nominated for International Sports Federation of the Year at the Peace and Sport International Forum in Sochi, Russia for the outstanding contribution to
communities in developing nations made by its groundbreaking WTF
Taekwondo Peace Corps initiative.
The WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps was founded in 2008 to help
promote peace, understanding of cultures and Olympic values
through taekwondo. The initiative operates in all five Olympic continents, with active involvement across the WTFs 204 member nation-
120
together even when there is little or no permanent sports infrastructure in place. That has helped the WTF take the Olympic values to
some of the most deprived communities in the world.
The WTF Peace Corps initiative was presented by President Choue to the UN-IOC
Sport for Development and Peace Conference in Geneva in 2010. In response, the
forum recommended to commend the
achievements of the WTF Peace Corps 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 federations and
NOCs, firmly believing that together, we have the ability to promote
global peace and harmony through sport.
121
Taekwondo Camp
210 young people from 33 countries, including orphans
and para-athletes, had a ball in Muju, Korea
The 4th
122
Part 4 Around the WTF > 4th World Youth Taekwondo Camp
123
Participants Reflections:
WTF-Kyung Hee Course
The WTF runs a Partnership Taekwondo Training Program with Kyung Hee University,
the first four-year university in Korea to include taekwondo as an academic subject.
The program, which started in 2005, has lured scores of coaches and athletes. The
following are selected reflections from participants in the 2012 program
124
Part 4 Around the WTF > Participants Reflections: WTF-Kyung Hee Course
125
126
Christopher Vella
Malta
Part 4 Around the WTF > Participants Reflections: WTF-Kyung Hee Course
127
2012.6.18~7.1
Joeseph Chuwa
Tanzania
128
20
Mauritius
Indonesia
Siti Rochmah
21
Norway
Nina Bansal
Srilanka
Kumari A. S. G.
22
Norway
Joachim Wien
Srilanka
Tharushi H. K. G
23
Canada
10
Srilanka
Diumini K. L. D.
24
Italy
11
Srilanka
Ushani U. D. P.
25
Indonesia
12
Srilanka
Thilini H. L, A
26
Indonesia
13
Srilanka
Gayathrie S. P. M. A
27
India
Pankaj Kumar
14
Srilanka
Randini N. K. A. G
28
Hungary
Marcell Kenez
15
Srilanka
Wimaladarma A. G.G.S.
29
Iran
16
Srilanka
Ko Chan Ul
30
Srilanka
APD Maduhusanka
17
Srilanka
Lee Ki Soo
31
Srilanka
SWMKS Fernando
32
Srilanka
33
Canada
34
Monaco
Angelo Spataro
No.
Nation
Name
Tunisia
Mounir Nouioui
Tunisia
Hichem Ayouni
Tunisia
Mehrez Hiraoui
Algeria
Abdelhamid Benzahia
Nigeria
Nigeria
Israel
Russia
Russia
10
Ukraine
11
Ukraine
12
Cambodia
13
Cambodia
Sarath Chea
14
Lebanon
15
Lebanon
16
Lebanon
17
India
Balasubramani Haribabu
No.
Nation
Name
18
Oman
Romania
19
Oman
20
Sudan
21
Sudan
22
Srilanka
Ranjith Muramudalige
23
Srilanka
24
Sex
2012.11.12~25
2012.8.6~12
(Taekwondo Camp)
10 Nations / 24 Members
No.
Nation
Name
Bulgaria
Costa Rica
Sex
Ghana
Sex
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Italy
Francesco Chisari
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Billy Aprilsya
Indonesia
Iran
Ali Nadali
Indonesia
Israel
Alex Fuks
10
Italy
Rosario Tetamo
Srilanka
Pakistan
11
Malaysia
25
Pakistan
France
Lim Selgi
12
Malaysia
26
Pakistan
Haroon Anwar
USA
Micheal
13
Malaysia
27
Slovakia
Peter UREK
10
Korea
14
Malaysia
28
Slovakia
MAREK mikos
11
Korea
15
Malaysia
12
Korea
Jeon Eun Su
16
Malaysia
13
Korea
17
Malaysia
14
China
Xu hang
18
Malaysia
15
China
Liu Ya Kun
19
Malta
Christopher Vella
2012.7.16~7.29
Nation
Name
16
China
Jiang Jing Yi
20
Myanmar
Aung Naing
Sex
17
China
21
Myanmar
18
China
Ji Yu Xing
22
19
China
Ji Yu Yang
23
Palestine
20
China
Wu Hao
24
Palestine
21
China
Wang Yi Xuan
25
Puerto Rico
Gilbert H Serrano
22
China
Bi Zhi Yuan
26
Russia
23
China
Kim Won Ki
27
Russia
24
China
Kwon soon
28
Slovakia
Kristina Kokoskova
29
Slovakia
Gabriel Hiczer
30
Tanzania
31
USA
Michael Couloucoundis
32
USA
Alexander Jeong
33
USA
Matthew Mooers
34
USA
Dylan Kader
35
Egypt
36
Pakistan
Haroon Anwar
37
Pakistan
38
USA
39
USA
Sweden
Sweden
Italy
Licia Martignani
Italy
Lorenzo Zicarelli
USA
Canada
Canada
10
Canada
11
India
12
India
13
India
No.
14
Monaco
Doria Anouk
Indonesia
15
Monaco
Platto kelian
British
16
Guam
Sudan
17
Guam
Jordan
18
Slovakia
Tomas Kaliska
Srilanka
Sampath P. P
19
Hungary
Andras Szabo
Srilanka
Pradeepnandana G. G.
2012.10.8~21
(Refresher Course)
5 Nations / 17 Members
Nation
Name
Sex
Total
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Part 4 Around the WTF > Participants Reflections: WTF-Kyung Hee Course
129
Lebanese Leaders
Granted Olympic
Positions
His Royal Highness Prince Rashid bin El Hassan, president of the Jordan Taekwondo Federation, visited the headquarters of the World
Taekwondo Federation on March 25, 2012 to talk with WTF President
Chungwon Choue.
Along with his Royal family members, the Jordanian prince came
to Korea on the occasion of the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, which
kicked off in Seoul on March 26 for a two-day run.
The popularity of taekwondo is rapidly growing in Jordan as we
clinched three tickets to the taekwondo competition of the 2012 London Olympic Games, HRH Prince Rashid said in a meeting with WTF
President Choue.
He said, Excluding wild cards, Jordan earned a total of four to five
London Olympic tickets through qualification tournaments and three
130
Part 4 Around the WTF > Unique Honors for Greek Taekwondo Leader
131
<
Cote dIvoire President Alassane Ouattara (right)
in taekwondo uniforms talks with WTF President
Chungwon Choue at the National Assembly in
Abidjan, Cote dIvoire on June 15, 2012. Also on
hand is WTF Secretary General Jean-Marie Ayer.
132
Part 4 Around the WTF > African Honor for WTF Head
133
Aroundthe
theWTF
Continental Unions
Around the
WTF
Around
ATU Activities
Dear Members,
2013 is already looking like a vintage year
for taekwondo. Coming so soon after the
remarkable success of taekwondo at the
2012 London Olympic Games, the WTFs
40th birthday could not have had a better gift than the news that taekwondo
has been confirmed by the IOC Executive
Board as a core Olympic sport for the 2020
Olympic Games. I think these results, under the WTFs leadership, were driven by
the entire taekwondo family across the
world regardless of age, gender or race.
Our efforts to promote the value of
taekwondo globally have worked out
very well, the clearest evidence being
that taekwondo has truly helped the life
style and well-being of mankind, especially youth.
2012 saw a number of meaningful ATU
events. Kicking for Miracles and the 1st
Europe-Asia Intercontinental Taekwondo
Championships were successfully conducted and contributed to promote the
value of taekwondo training.
The major ATU activities for the year
included:
the 4th Bahrain Open International
Championships from February 9-11 in
Manama, Bahrain; ATU Council Meeting
and ATU General Assembly on May 3; the
134
been achieved by us and proven to the IOC and the world. Taekwondo truly showed its best face, applying the most advanced competition operations and demonstrating the most respectful manners at
the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The ATU is on the leading edge of promoting taekwondo and we
promise that our continuous efforts and sincere commitments to promote the sport in Asia, thereby supporting WTF activities, will never end.
Place
March 1~3
Fujairah, UAE
March 28~30
Manama, Bahrain
June 13~17
June 19
Jakarta, Indonesia
June 20
Jakarta, Indonesia
June 21~23
Jakarta, Indonesia
July 4~9
Chuncheon, Korea
Oct. 6~15
Tianjin, China
Oct. 31 ~ Nov. 3
Bali, Indonesia
Dec. 11~22
TayPyiTaw, Myanmar
Part 4 Around the WTF > Around the CUs > ATU Activities
135
Aroundthe
theWTF
Continental Unions
Around the
WTF
Around
AFTU Activities
Dear Taekwondo Fans,
On behalf of our African Continental Taekwondo family, which is increasing every year with new members to cover almost every corner
of Africa, I hope for the continuance of mutual cooperation with the
World Taekwondo Federation bodies and leadership, and the other
continental bodies and taekwondo fans everywhere in the world. Our
African will and desire is for the development, spread and improvement of our beloved sport of taekwondo, which successfully continued in the Olympics, while some other, older sports went quiet. And
that was a result of the efforts by each body, organization and individual in our taekwondo community. We have upgraded the rules and performance of the art to be strong and attractive for all parties the athletes, coaches, referees, administrators and spectators of taekwondo.
Best regards to you all,
136
Date
EVENT
Place
Remarks
Feb. 24~27
Alexandria - Egypt
March
Libreville - Gabon
Sept.
Alexandria - Egypt
Oct. 10~12
Alexandria - Egypt
Nov.
Cotonou - Benin
Part 4 Around the WTF > Around the CUs > AFTU Activities
137
Aroundthe
theWTF
Continental Unions
Around the
WTF
Around
ETU Activities
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The year 2012 was a great one! Under the leadership
of Dr. Chungwong Choue, we celebrated a very successful Olympic Games in London. With the media
attention, the visitors at the venue during the competition days and the amazing competitions, I am
convinced that taekwondo will stay in the Olympic
program for years to come.
Next to the Olympic Games, the ETUs member
national associations organized different events for
athletes in Europe. I am proud to say that we had 18
high-level ETU A-class tournaments in 2012 organized
across Europe. At both the kyorugi and poomsae
championships, highly skilled athletes competed for
the highest honors. Next to these events, the ETU also
organized the European Qualification Tournament
in Russia, the European Senior Championships in the
United Kingdom and the European 16-21 Championships in Athens.
With regard to solidarity, the ETU organized an
intensive program in Moldova, in order to stimulate
taekwondo in the region. Different experts on taekwondo contributed to the program, which ranged
from referee training and kyorugi to poomsae training. It was a valuable week for instructors and taekwondo practitioners in Moldova.
In cooperation with the Asian Taekwondo Union,
and supported by the Russian Taekwondo Union,
the ETU organized a great event in Moscow: the 1st
Europe-Asia Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships. During this one-day event, teams from the
ETU and ATU fought against each other in different
competition formats. The public was very enthusiastic and the event was a huge success. In the future,
we hope to plan a similar event together with one of
the other continental unions.
Besides these important milestones, the ETU or-
Jan. 9~13
Athens
Greece
Feb. 9~10
Trelleborg Open
Trelleborg
Sweden
Feb. 9
Ingolstadt
Germany
March 8~10
German Open
Hamburg
Germany
March 15~17
Dutch Open
Eindhoven
Netherlands
April 5~7
Belgian Open
Gent
Belgium
April 6~7
Gent
Belgium
April 18~21
European 16 / 21 Championships
Chisinau
Moldova
April 27~28
Spanish Open
Alicante
Spain
May 25
Kolding
Denmark
June 1~2
Austrian Open
Innsbruck
Austria
June 8
Lausanne
Switzerland
June 8~9
Swiss Open
Lausanne
Switzerland
June 15
Vienna
Austria
June 21~30
Mediterranean Games
Mersin
Turkey
July 21
Jerusalem
Israel
July 27~29
Sofia
Bulgaria
Aug. 8~9
Torino
Italy
Aug. 17~18
Turku
Finland
Aug. 20~24
Bucharest
Romania
Sept. 26~29
Porto
Portugal
Oct. 3~6
Ukrainian Cup
Kharkov
Ukraine
Oct. 18~26
St. Petersburg
Russia
Oct. 26~27
Belgrade
Serbia
Nov. 9~10
Croatian Open
Zagreb
Croatia
Dec. 7~8
Paris International
Paris
France
Yours,
Sakis Pragalos
President, European Taekwondo Union (ETU)
138
Part 4 Around the WTF > Around the CUs > ETU Activities
139
Aroundthe
theWTF
Continental Unions
Around the
WTF
Around
PATU Activities
Dear PATU Family and Friends,
On behalf of the PATU, I would like to wish you and your family happiness, health and prosperity.
2013 will be without a doubt another busy year for all PATU family. Beginning with the Central American Games to be held in Costa Rica in
March, we will have the WTF World Championships in Puebla, Mexico, the Pan Am Open in Queretaro, Mexico in September, the Pan Am
Junior & Cadet Championships in October and the WTF World Poomsae Championships in November.
We must continue to work together to maintain the value and the integrity of our sport to international sports communities. I would like to
urge you to continue your efforts to promote our sport to your NOCs and honorable IOC members in the Pan American region. Through your
dedication and hard work, I am confident that our sport will gain a renewed recognition among international sport leaders.
As we initialize our new PATU leadership for the next five years, the following list of newly elected and appointed PATU EXCO and Council
members will be at your service to continue our cooperatively progressive development of our sport in the Pan Am continent.
Sr. Vice President: Dr. Helder Navarro Carriazo / Colombia
Vice President / North America: Mr. Simon Su Hwan Chung / Canada
Vice President / Central America: Mr. Frank Silva Urbina / Nicaragua
Vice President / South America: Dr. Alejandro Mansilla Arias / Bolivia
Vice President / Caribbean: Mr. Francisco Camacho / Dominican Republic
Feb. 18~23
U.S. Open
March 13~16
April
TBA
May 2~5
Toronto, Canada
Canada Open
May
TBA
June 2~3
Medelin, Colombia
July
TBA
July 15-21
Puebla, Mexico
Aug.
TBD
Caribbean Championships
Aug.
Sept. 12~15
Queretaro, Mexico
Oct.
TBD
Oct.
TBD
Nov.
Sogamoso, Colombia
Nov.
TBA
Please refer to the following tentative schedule for this year and make your participation plans for your team accordingly.
Thank you again for your continued support for the PATU leadership and I look forward to successfully completing all WTF and PATU business
together in 2013!
Sincerely,
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Part 4 Around the WTF > Around the CUs > PATU Activities
141
Aroundthe
theWTF
Continental Unions
Around the
WTF
Around
OTU Activities
Dear Members and Friends,
2012 was another milestone year in the development of the
Oceania Taekwondo Union and concluded with the 2012
Oceania Championships held in Australia on the Gold Coast,
Queensland, in December 2012.
The Oceania region is seeing rapid growth in the development of athletes who continue to show great skill in competitions, and we are eternally grateful for the support the OTU has
received from our member nations who remain loyal, enthusiastic and passionate despite the adversities that they face in
terms of resources, finances, expertise and opportunity. Nonetheless, the OTU is confident that the lead up to Rio 2016 will
be successful for the OTU, its athletes and its member nations.
London 2012
Two athletes from Samoa, two from Australia, three from New
Zealand and one from Papua New Guinea made up Oceanias
eight-athlete contingent and all performed remarkably. In particular, the two Australian athletes made the quarterfinals and just
missed out on bronze medals. Like all Olympics, they are a learning curve for our athletes and a stepping-stone to future success.
Congratulations to all our Oceania Olympic representatives
and to their respective member associations who have provided guidance and support on their Olympic journey.
MALE
-58kg
-68kg
-80kg
+ 80kg
142
Safwan Khalil
(AUS)
Logan Campbell (NZL)
Vaughn Scott
(NZL)
Kaino Thomsen (SAM)
-49kg
-57kg
-67kg
+67kg
Theresa Tona
Robin Cheong
Carmen Marton
Talitiga Crawley
(PNG)
(NZL)
(AUS)
(SAM)
The next three years are vital in the development of our athletes and it is imperative that they be exposed to as much
elite-level international competition as possible. Of course, this
requires substantial financial resources and the OTU is committed to doing whatever it can to secure those resources over the
next three years to ensure that our development and representation at future Olympics continue to grow.
Cook Islands
Tuvalu
Micronesia
Nauru
Palau
PNG President
2012 was not without sadness with the news that our beloved Papua
New Guinea President, Ower Illa, suddenly passed away in late 2012.
He left a strong legacy in PNG, having secured Olympic qualifications
for PNG athletes in 2008 (Beijing) and again in 2012 (London).
Part 4 Around the WTF > Around the CUs > OTU Activities
143
Iraqi Taekwondo:
Troubled Past, Bright Future
After a series of terrorist attacks that wiped out the national team
and senior officials, Iraqi taekwondo is now in recovery mode and has even overtaken football in popularity
Iraq has suffered three major wars in the last two decades, but despite
this, taekwondo is firmly planted in Iraqi soil.
The sport started as a committee of the Martial Arts Federation
in 1979 but was established as an independent federation in 1983.
The first president of the Iraq Taekwondo Federation was Fallah Hassan Jedo who filled the position for two years. Since then, eight other
men have filled the presidency slot.
2005 marked a tragic year for Iraqi taekwondo, when all members
of the Iraqi national team were killed in terrorist attack when they
were returning from a tournament in Jordan. More atrocities were to
come. The then-president of the Iraq Taekwondo Federation, Jamal
Abed Al Kareem, was gunned down in his office in the National Olympic Committee building. A month later, an executive member of the
federation and the treasurer were murdered in their offices.
Fortunately, there is a brighter side to Iraqs taekwondo story.
In 2009, Dr. Mahmood Shukur Saleh Al Khalaf, a university professor holding a Ph.D. in taekwondo, became the 10th president of
a very troubled federation. He is not only a scholar but a taekwondo
man himself: He was a member of the first Iraqi national team to participate in a WTF World Championships in 1985.
Since he took over the position, he has tried to improve the tech-
144
nical level of Iraqi taekwondo by organizing numerous training courses for coaches and referees: Iraq has never had any international referees but he hopes he can change that in 2013. He has also signed a
memorandum of understanding with the Kukkiwon to organize the
chaotic situation regarding black belt grades in Iraq, where certain
people were actually selling Kukkiwon dan certificates
Iraq was one of the first countries to sign up for the Global Membership System of the WTF, and today there is a branch of the Iraq Taekwondo Federation in every major city in the nation. Taekwondo has
even bypassed football in popularity, according to a media survey.
This is a major success considering the popularity of football around
the world.
Iraq has over 200 taekwondo clubs that compete in four leagues;
the number of practitioners has risen to over 500,000. Taekwondo has
also grown in popularity among women, and there are six cities with
12 teams playing in a league.
Dr. Mahmood hopes Iraq will qualify for the Olympics in 2016 and
hopes further that under his leadership, an athlete will achieve a feat
that no Iraqi has yet managed - to win a gold medal in an international
championship.
For the first time in Iraq sport, taekwondo has been able to overtake traditionally more popular sports such as football and wrestling, in terms of the number
of people who practice it.
At present, there are over 500,000 taekwondo practitioners aged between
6 and 60, including over 100,000 female practitioners, nationwide.
Young people have shown great interest in the sport and the Iraq Taekwondo Federation hopes to leverage this surging interest and qualify for the
next Youth Olympics in 2014 in China.
(Translated from Iraqs Almezan newspaper)
145
Uzbekistan
Takes to Taekwondo
146
Northern Exposure:
Canadian Taekwondo
Taekwondo Canada has made a series of gold-standard organizational efforts to give the sport the finest possible foundation
and governance
On the tails of our National Championships in January, and looking toward the upcoming 2013 Canada Open in Toronto, it is a very exciting
time of year for taekwondo in Canada.
Over the last 12 months we have put significant efforts into solidifying the strategic direction of our organization and aligning all of our
activities and efforts with our vision to Enable the ethical pursuit of
personal growth and competitive excellence.
One of the major changes in pursuit of this vision, has been centered on the governance structure of Taekwondo Canada. The association updated its bylaws in 2010, which included a major shift in the
governance structure. Taekwondo Canada is now governed by a policy board of directors, which puts the organization in line with modern governance practices in non-profit sport. The sport leaders within
Taekwondo Canada are confident that this positions the association
to better serve the Canadian taekwondo community and to enable
the achievement of the full potential that exists within taekwondo in
Canada.
These refinements to the governance and structural integrity of
Taekwondo Canada will support the development of a professional
taekwondo sport system that is accountable and efficient in the deliv-
147
Island of Innovations:
The Singapore Story
Milan Kwee and Lim Teong Chin tell us about Singapores unique programs,
which provide benchmarks for those federations taking taekwondo beyond sport,
and enriching society as a whole
the values during training, from participating in grading. For promotion to poom or black belt or higher, candidates have to demonstrate understanding of their responsibilities in their home, school
or workplace and society in the interview segment of the promotion
test. If they fail the interview, they will be denied the promotion even
though they have done very well in the sparring and poomsae tests.
Moreover, all members are aware that the STF has very low tolerance
for misconduct in any form.
As coaches play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the program, the STF requires all coaches to serve as role models for their
students. The STF will not hesitate to take severe disciplinary action
against coaches who fail to observe the STF coaching ethics, regardless of their position in taekwondo or their status in society.
Despite being a young sport, taekwondo in Singapore has a long history: It was introduced to the island republic in 1962, the fourth country in the world after Korea,
Vietnam and Malaya (now Malaysia) to experience this amazing martial art.
In the early days, it attracted a core group of members who trained simply for
self-defense. The number increased with the years as more people became intrigued by the ability of practitioners to execute high-kicking techniques not only
with one foot on the ground, but also with both feet in the air.
Interest grew. More clubs were formed by local black belts to provide the public
the opportunity to take up martial arts. They joined by the hundreds. It was not
uncommon to see an enrollment of more than one hundred members in one recruitment exercise.
But as clubs proliferated, so did problems. There were no standard assessments
of grades among the clubs. In some clubs, black belts could be obtained with relative ease. In others, the grade could only be achieved after passing some grueling
tests. Dissension among clubs was rampant as they fought for the right of authority
over the running of the martial art in the country.
The government resolved the issue effectively by establishing the Singapore
Taekwondo Federation (STF) and recognizing it as the national sports association
for taekwondo in 1974, a year after the formation of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
Fast forward 39 years, and the STF has become a well-recognized and vibrant
taekwondo organization with links to, among other organizations, the Singapore
Sports Council, the Singapore National Olympic Council, the Asean Taekwondo Federation, the Asian Taekwondo Union and the WTF. It organizes multiple activities
for example, tournaments, courses, shows and gradings for a following of over
25,000 members training in 270 clubs all over the island.
Whats more, it has localized taekwondo by introducing programs which are
uniquely Singaporean. These include Taekwondo for Character, Taekwondo with a
Heart and Taekwondo for Life.
148
149
But we have been doing our best to store the remainder and keep it
for the benefit of all.
Moreover, there has been discrimination in selections for international tournaments and this served to discourage some athletes
who feel they were left out deliberately. Currently, the UTF is trying to
streamline procedures, so many members who had left are returning.
But partly because of this problem, some members migrated to other
combat sports like kickboxing, karate and boxing which have been
able to offer more incentives.
Still, things are improving. The UTF has managed to acquire an
office - a very big milestone. This has enabled us to start keeping records. And in June 2012, we acquired a National Training Center. This
was given to the UTF by the sports original custodians, the Uganda
Prisons Service, after we made an official request. Although it requires
significant renovation, we have been able to conduct some training
and tournaments there as at least it is spacious.
We have set minimum standards which every club should meet
to be recognized: This has encouraged seriousness in the clubs. The
numbers of our members with dan certificates has also increased
greatly. And we are now able to give some incentives to our athletes
whenever they perform exceptionally. Incentives includes uniforms,
cash and certificates.
These efforts are paying off. In 2012 we managed to send a team
to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt to participate in the 9th WTF Junior World
Championships. This was a precondition for us to be recognized by
the WTF, after we had consecutively missed two world championships.
Now, we are working on our vision for the future. The UTF is looking at becoming a full-fledged federation with improved administrative structures in the next seven years, with better organized contests.
We are seeking competent administrators and sponsors. And we sincerely hope that the Korean government, as well as the WTF, will do
more to help promote taekwondo in Uganda: It is a beautiful sport
which helps to export Korean culture all over the world.
Special Appeal
The UTF would like to take this opportunity to make an appeal to the
international taekwondo community:
If you can assist us with any cash donations to help us renovate our
National Training Center please see picture in this article - it would be
greatly appreciated.
The UTG Bank account details are:
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Part 4 Around the WTF > MNA > Facing the Challenge
151
Somalia Celebrates
1st Taekwondo Medal
152
Bulgarian Taekwondo
Raises its Game
153
Addicted to Taekwondo,
Not to Drugs
Short, snappy matches, team bonding and a high public profile provided
the keys to success for the Philippines innovative new league
The Romanian Taekwondo Federation is urging
youth to take up the sport
rather than falling victim to drug abuse
154
overall champion.
The fight format is a first round of five
players playing two-minute-long matches and the second round is a non-stop,
five-minute bout with a tag-team format in
which any of the 10 players can come on, depending on the call of the coach. The teams
goal is to accumulate the highest team score
to win the match.
The competition venue rotated around
different SM Malls, the biggest mall operator
in the country, which promoted taekwondo
to the public. The games were held during
the weekends with an average duration of
two hours with a team competing one or two
matches per outing. Supporters including
parents, relatives and friends found the short
duration of the games convenient, unlike
major tournaments which last entire days.
During the four month period, a total of 117
matches ran.
A cash prize of approximately $1,250 for
scholarships was awarded to the winning
senior men and senior women teams, while
a mobile phone gift from the PTAs major
benefactor, Smart Telecommunications, was
awarded to the over-all champion in the junior men and grade school boys divisions together with their gold medals, trophies and
certificates. Best player, best coach and best
referee awards were also given.
Former international champions and
Olympians served as officers with Monsour-
The message was disseminated via several campaigns that have been
run not only during taekwondo competitions since 2010, but also as
a social catalyst to accept and educate people of all origins on the
importance of a stable and strong mind and body, for both present
and future generations.
The movement has brought many countries and people together
through sports competitions and has been publicized through audio,
television and print media. We hope it will continue to be a beacon of
sportsmanship, social values and intercultural exchange, bringing a
brighter future to all.
Part 4 Around the WTF > MNA > Addicted to Taekwondo, Not to Drugs
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156
Part 4 Around the WTF > MNA > Small Country, Great Ambitions
157
Italian Passion
158
comic strip characters Kim & Liu. Following the success of this strip,
every year FITA organizes a tournament: About 1,000 kids gather in
Rome and wear the clothes of their little heroes.
And thats not all. Administrative staff have expanded. Day after
day, our administrators use their experience and professionalism so
that FITA can reach the same level as bigger federations, which, due
to their number of athletes and their better resources, we used to take
as role models. Today, FITA counts 20,000 individuals and 500 associations as full members. Our members, from the youngest to the oldest,
are our biggest incentive to go on and reach further, both on the national and international levels.
The WTF has acknowledged our results and honored the federation with the assignment of responsible roles in its institutional
structure. Sun-jae Park is a WTF vice-president, while Angelo Cito is a
member of the Executive Committee and chairman of the Technical
Committee of the European Taekwondo Union (ETU).
Believing our best times are still to come, we have set a new goal
and challenge: to break through at the very highest levels. From the
Olympic perspective, our work is already focused on the next Summer Games in Rio in 2016, but we cant forget international contests
where the Italian team have obtained brilliant results, allowing the
federation to become a main actor in the different categories at the
global level.
Our secret for success is, above all, a great deal of passion, especially at a time when all Italian sports are being buffeted by the economic crisis. Theres a new desire to win, and as Giovanni Malag (who
succeeded Gianni Petrucci as president of the Italian National Olympic
Committee, the federation of all federations) put it when elected: The
sport of the future should act as a guide for the whole country.
Taekwondo claims to be that guide.
T
PAR
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166
170
174
Championships
Korea won both overall mens and womens titles at the 9th WTF
World Junior Taekwondo Championships, which concluded its fiveday event in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on April 8, 2012.
In the mens division, Korea grabbed four gold medals and
three silver medals for a total of 89 points. Iran came next with two
gold medals and two silver medals for 62 points, followed by Russia
with one gold and two bronze medals for 44 points. Spain came
next with one gold and one bronze medal for 38 points, followed
by Chinese Taipei with one gold for 37 points.
In the womens division, Korea won four gold medals for 73
points, followed by Russia with three gold medals and one bronze
medal. Turkey came next with two silver medals and two bronze
medals for 45 points, followed by Chinese Taipei with two silvers
and two bronzes for 38 points, and Germany with one gold and two
bronzes for 37 points.
The biennial championships, which took place at the Sharm El
Sheikh Covered Hall, attracted a total of 753 athletes, including 424
males from 90 countries. The championships were a great success
for many reasons, especially in terms of fair judging and refereeing.
The Best Male Athlete honors of the championships went to
Koreas Yeong-seok Kim, the gold medalist in the mens -55kg cat-
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163
Championships
Azerbaijan clinched six gold, six silver and three bronze medals to defend
its overall title at the 3rd WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships,
which took place in Santa Cruz, Aruba on November 22, 2012.
Russia took two golds, four silvers and five bornzes for the second
place, followed by Spain with two golds and one bronze in the overall
medal tally. Iran came next with two gold medals, Canada with one gold
and one bronze, and Ukraine with one gold.
A total of 53 athletes from 14 countries competed at the 3rd World Para-Taekwondo Championships, which took place at the Centro Deportivo
gymnasium in Santa Cruz, Aruba. Twenty-one countries earlier sent their
entry lists of athletes and officials to the Aruba Organizing Committee for
the 3rd World Para-Taekwondo Championships.
The participating countries were Azerbaijan, Spain, Mongolia, Brazil, Russia, France, Guatemala, Iran, Croatia, Canada, Finland, Australia,
Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The inaugural World Para-Taekwondo Championships were held in
Baku, Azerbaijan on June 10, 2009, drawing a total of 36 athletes and 18 officials from 16 countries. France took the overall title, followed by Azerbaijan and Turkey. The 2nd championships were held in St. Petersburg, Russia
on May 11, 2010, which attracted 65 athletes from 21 countries. Azerbaijan
clinched the overall title, followed by Turkey and Spain.
The one-day event featured 10 male and four female categories. The
Olympic weight divisions applied to the championships: -58kg, -68kg,
-80kg and +80kg for male contestants and -49kg, -57kg, -67kg and +67kg
for female athletes.
A Daedo Protector and Scoring System (PSS) and an Instant Video Replay system were used for the Aruba championships.
Modified competition rules applied to the championships. Attacks to
the head were banned and the duration of the contest was three rounds of
one minute each with a one-minute break between rounds.
Weight categories were modified as follows: amputation with both
limbs above elbows (A5), amputation of one limb above the elbow (A6),
amputation of both limbs below the elbows (A7), and amputation of one
limb below the elbow (A8).
An opening ceremony was held at the venue for the 3rd WTF World
Para-Taekwondo Championships and the 2012 World Cup Taekwondo
Team Championships scheduled for Nov. 23-25, 2012 at the same venue.
The World Cup event has drawn 90 male athletes from 13 countries and 69
female athletes from 10 countries.
The opening ceremony drew high-ranking officials, including Aruban
Health and Sport Minister Richard Visser and Aruban Infrastructure Minister Oslim Servinger.
Also at hand were WTF President Chungwon Choue and Jose Cornelio,
president of the Aruba Taekwondo Association, along with WTF Council
members.
WTF President Choue said in his speech during the opening ceremo-
164
ny, The spirit of Olympism inspires generations, young and old to aspire
to their dreams. We can see here today, through the bright eyes of these
athletes, that taekwondo embodies every aspect of the spirit of Olympism.
The dreams that taekwondo brings to so many is felt throughout the world.
The hope that taekwondo brings is limitless. It knows no boundaries
and is hampered by no disability, Choue continued. There is no gender
that it favors or age that it discriminates against. Taekwondo truly is a
sport for all that inspires and embodies anyone that experiences it. I know
from these athletes here today, there is still much more to come.
Dr. Choue concluded his speech by saying, The London 2012 Olympic
Games were the greatest competition of our history. Rio 2016 will be even
greater, but I say to you athletes here in Aruba, your road to the Olympics,
and hopefully soon the Paralympics, begins here today. Faster, higher,
stronger. Fairer, more dynamic, spreading hope and dreams to the world.
This is taekwondo! You are taekwondo!
The opening ceremony featured a variety of Aruban cultural performances and a WTF taekwondo demonstration.
Early in the morning, the WTF held an Extraordinary Council Meeting
at the Holiday Inn in Aruba.
The council gave Indonesia the right to host the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Bali. It also approved the establishment of WTF Grand Prix series.
Pending the WTFs final approval at the General Assembly, the WTF
Council also approved membership for three countries Curacao, South
Sudan and Sierra Leone - to increase its overall membership to 204.
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Championships
Korea and China grabbed the mens and womens titles, respectively, at the 2012 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships in Santa Cruz, Aruba on November 25, 2012.
In the mens division, Korea showed its supremacy as it defeated Iran 27-11 in the final match for top honors, drawing big
applause from spectators. Korea reached the final round as it
beat Spain 21-18 in a semifinal match, while Iran came from behind to beat China 19-18 to advance to the final round.
China needed a third sudden-death round to brush aside a
stiff challenge from France in the final match for the top honors. China advanced to the final match as it beat Croatia 17-15
in a semifinal match. France reached the womens final match
by beating Russia 21-9 in a semifinal match.
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Part 5 Championships > 2012 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships
167
Championships
168
Part 5 Championships > 2012 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships
169
Championships
Photographed by
Young-Kul Kim
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Championships
In the pairs under 29, China sneaked past Vietnam to claim the gold. Vietnams silver was
closely followed by Ecuadors and Chinese Taipeis bronzes.
It was the Germans who prevailed in the
female over 29 team competition. Colombia
stepped up for the silver as Chinese Taipei and
Russia stood strong with bronze.
The host nation added a second medal of
the day with a bronze in the male over 29 team
category, sharing the hardware with Chinese
Taipei. Iran was the team scored gold in the
mens team competition and Egypt won silver.
A Vietnamese squad nailed their routine to
become the best freestyle team in the world.
The Philippines were on par to win their silver
medal. China and the United States held out
strong performances to take home the bronze.
Korea finished the competition with a total
of 12 medals and finished as the top nation, but
Iran was not far behind with an impressive 10
medals to place second. The United States had
a tremendous showing during the tournament
with a total of six medals, and also received an
additional reward for the most improved team.
Other honorary awards were given to host
nation Colombia for outstanding organization
172
and attraction of spectators. Indonesia was honored for being the next host nation for the WTF
World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.
MVP awards went to Jeong Cheol Kim of
Spain and Su Ji Kang of Korea. Mikaela Calamba of the Philippines and Karen Suache Arias of
Colombia were recognized for best performances. Top honors for coaching went to Jae Jin Kang
from Korea and Le Minh Khuong from Vietnam.
Trophies for Best Referees went to Daniel Khorassandjin (Lebanon), Johanna Bliem
(Austria), Jun Cheol Yun (USA), Wolfgang Bruckel (Germany), and Tem Igor Buenconsejo (Philippines). Norway, Malaysia and Brazil were
awarded for best fighting spirit and Ukraine,
Serbia, and Uruguay stood out for their active
participation.
The championships as a whole found nearly half of the participating countries winning at
least a medal. The 16 medals up for grabs on the
last day alone were distributed among 11 nations.
WTF President Dr. Chungwon Choue, heralded the success of the 7th edition of the championships saying:
Without the athletes, coaches, and officials,
these championships couldnt be. The tremendous hard work and dedication to the sport of
173
Championships
1st Europe-Asia
Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships
Moscow, Russia
Oct. 12, 2012
The 1st Europe-Asia Intercontinental Taekwondo Championships took place on Oct. 12, 2012 at the USZK in Moscow,
Russia. Asia beat Europe 13-3 on aggregated points at the
inaugural championships, which featured eight individual
and four team competitions.
Each continent sent eight individual Olympic-category
athletes and two six-member teams to the championships.
For team competition, Europe was represented by a Russian team and a European squad, while Asia was represented by Jordan and Iran. The Jordanian team was composed
of five Jordanian athletes and one Thai athlete.
One point was given to the continent for an individual
victory, while two points were awarded to the continent
for a team competition win.
The countries that participated in the championships
were Chinese Taipei, Iran, Jordan, Thailand and Uzbekistan
from Asia, and Armenia, Croatia, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Sweden
and Ukraine from Europe.
An opening ceremony and commemorative performances were held before competitions. WTF President
Chungwon Choue delivered an opening speech, while Mr.
Anatoly Terekhov, WTF council member and president of
the Russian Taekwondo Union, delivered his welcoming
speech.
The Europe-Asia championships started with a team
competition between Jordan and Russia. The Jordan team
defeated a six-member Russian team 37-34.
In the following team match between Iran and Europe,
Asia continued its lead over Europe as a six-member Iranian team edged a six-member European team, with one
athlete each from Ukraine, Luxemburg, Great Britain, Croatia, Armenia and Russia, 35-31.
Eight individual matches, four female and four male,
followed the two team competitions.
In the womens under 49kg division, Siriporn Buabsod
of Thailand defeated Ioanna Koutsou of Greece 3-2. In the
174
beat Rima Ananbeh of Jordan 5-1. In the mens over 80kg category, Jasur
Baykuziyev of Uzbekistan crushed Leonardo Basile of Italy 11-7.
Two team competitions followed the individual matches.
In the team competition match between Jordan and Europe, the Jordanian team outpointed the six-member European team 38-28.
In the last team competition match between Iran and Russia, the Iranian squad brushed aside a stiff challenge from the six-member Russian
team 20-17.
After all matches, Asia defeated Europe 13-3 based on aggregated points.
175
Event Calendar
2013
2013-2015
2014
Date
Place
Event
Contact
Feb. 19-23
Feb. 25-27
Alexandria, Egypt
March 1-3
Fujairah, UAE
March 28-30
Manama, Bahrain
Date
Place
Event
Contact
G-2
March 23-25
N/A
G-1
March 26-29
N/A
G-1
TBD
TBD
N/A
G-1
TBC
TBD
N/A
May (TBD)
Botswana
N/A
N/A
June 8-14
Hohhot, China
TBD
G-1
July (TBC)
TBD
TBD
N/A
Aug. 16 - 28
(TKD 17-21)
Nanjing, China
N/A
TBD
March (TBD)
Libreville, Gabon
May 2-5
Toronto, Canada
June 8
Lausanne, Switzerland
June 8-9
Lausanne, Switzerland
TBD
TBA
June 13-17
Pekan Baru-Riau,
Indonesia
info@pbti.or.id | inaisgoc2013@gmail.com |
yefi.triaji@yahoo.com
TBD
Sept. 19 - Oct 4
Incheon, Korea
TBD
June 20-30
(TKD 21-23)
Mersin, Turkey
TBD
Oct. (TBC)
TBD
TBD
June 20
Jakarta, Indonesia
N/A
June 21-23
Jakarta, Indonesia
N/A
July 4-9
Chuncheon, Korea
G-2
July 15-21
Puebla, Mexico
G-7
July 21
Jerusalem, Israel
TBD
July 26-Aug. 4
(TKD Jul 27-29)
Sofia, Bulgaria
http://www.torino2013wmg.org/?lang=en
N/A
Aug. 8-9
Torino, Italy
Sept. (TBD)
Alexandria, Egypt
G-5
Sept. (TBD)
Alexandria, Egypt
N/A
Sept. (TBD)
Alexandria, Egypt
N/A
Sept. (TBD)
Alexandria, Egypt
Oct. 6-16
(TKD 7-9)
Tianjin, China
Oct. 18-26
N/A
(+681)72.16.58 olivier@vegi.fr
TBD
2015
Date
Place
Event
TBD
TBD
Contact
TBD
TBD
TBD
N/A
N/A
June (TBC)
Baku, Azerbaijan
TBD
TBD
July (TBC)
TBD
TBD
St.Petersburg, Russia
TBD
July 10-26
Toronto, Canada
TBD
Oct. 31-Nov. 3
Bali, Indonesia
N/A
July (TBC)
Gwangju, Korea
TBD
Nov. (TBD)
Cotonou, Benin
N/A
Sept. (TBC)
TBD
TBD
Nov.
TBD
TBD
Oct. (TBC)
TBD
TBD
Dec.
TBD
TBD
TBA
Brazzaville, Congo
TBD
Dec. (TBC)
TBD
TBD
WTF Event Calendar
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