▲     © Dr Choue with GB Taekwondo delegation (WTU)

5 More Cities on 4 Continents Selected to Host 11 Major Taekwondo Events

BURNABY, Canada (Nov. 14, 2016) – Great Britain won the hosting rights for the 2019 WTF World Taekwondo Championships and two other prestigious tourneys, while the rights for eight other WTF events over the next four years were awarded to five cities across four continents.

The selections were made by the WTF Council, meeting in Burnaby, Canada, ahead of the 2016 WTF World Taekwondo Junior Championships, which take place from Nov. 16-20.

Manchester, Great Britain, was awarded the WTF’s flagship 2019 World Championships, beating out Houston, USA, to secure the rights. The decision was made in a secret vote by council members.

The council determined that Manchester offered the most attractive bid; the city was also awarded the 2018 WTF World Taekwondo Grand-Prix Series, while the Copper Box Arena, which was used for Olympic competitions at London 2012, will be a venue for the 2017 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series.

“This is three events, two cities, one vision,” said Steve Flynn of GB Taekwondo as he outlined his country’s ambitious, dual-city, multi-event bid.

Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire was selected as the host for the 2017 WTF World Taekwondo Grand-Prix Final and 2017 WTF World Taekwondo Team Championships – becoming the first city in Africa to host the events. After Cote d’Ivoire won its first ever Olympic gold medal in any sport in taekwondo at Rio 2016, taekwondo has become hugely popular in the country.

Sydney, Australia, will become the first destination in Oceania to host any global WTF event as it will host the 2019 WTF World Taekwondo Cadet Championships. However, the city has a strong legacy in the sport, having hosted the taekwondo Olympic competition at the 2000 Summer Games.

Chiba, Japan, will stage the 2019 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series in the same city where the taekwondo competitions of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will take place. The event is expected to be a key visibility raiser for the sport in Japan in the pre-Olympic year.

Moscow, Russia was selected as the host city for the 2018 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series, the 2019 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final and the 2019 WTF World Taekwondo Team Championships.

Velje, Denmark, was chosen as the host of the 2020 WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.

The historic selections are attributed to the federation’s newly launched bidding process, which has been designed to increase dialogue and collaboration with potential hosts all the way through the bidding and selection process.

“Today’s historic selections of so many world-class host cities demonstrate how strong the future of taekwondo is,” said WTF President Chungwon Choue. “I am delighted that we successfully established this new bidding process, which has dramatically improved our communication and collaboration with potential hosts. Today we have seen the benefits of this new process as we have seven iconic cities which I am sure will stage fantastic events.”

As part of the new bidding process’ introductory phase, the WTF convened a Partnership Workshop in June in the Olympic capital, Lausanne, with more than 40 participants from global cities, WTF Member National Associations and international sport organizations.

When the first phase of the bid process was opened in July, 29 parties from iconic cities all around the world expressed their willingness to join the competitive bid process.

The rejuvenated bidding process also included an evaluation phase, in which the Bid Evaluation Commission – consisting of an IOC member and experts from academia and the broadcasting sector – thoroughly examined all the bid files and documents to shortlist finalists. This commission was also tasked to provide advice to the WTF Council members to help them make informed decisions.

The WTF’s next Extraordinary Council Meeting will be held in Thailand in March, 2017.

                     영국 맨체스터 '2019 세계태권도선수권대회' 개최 확정

세계태권도연맹(WTF, 총재 조정원)은 현지시각 11월 14일 캐나다 버나비에서 집행위원회를 개최하고 영국 맨체스터를 '2019 세계태권도선수권대회' 개최지로 결정했다.

WTF는 국제올림픽위원회(IOC)의 ‘올림픽 아젠다 2020’에 따른 개최지 선정 가이드라인을 새롭게 발표하였다.

이번에 발표된 WTF 주최 대회 개최지들은 새로운 가이드라인에 의거해 선정되었며, 대회 조직위원회들은 향후 대회 준비과정에서 홍보를 비롯한 모든 면에서 지속적이고 원활한 WTF의 전문적인 지원을 받게 된다.

2019 세계태권도선수권대회는 영국 맨체스터와 미국 휴스턴 두 곳에서 유치 신청서를 제출했으나, 집행위원들은 경기장 시설과 그간 그랑프리 시리즈를 개최해 온 영국태권도협회의 노하우를 인정해 맨체스터를 '2019 세계태권도선수권대회' 개최지로 결정했으며, 2019년 5월 15일부터 19일까지 5일간 대회가 개최된다.

2017-2019년도 WTF 태권도 월드그랑프리 시리즈 및 파이널 대회 개최지들도  선정됐다.

2017 태권도 월드그랑프리 시리즈 3차전은 영국 런던에서 열리고, 그랑프리 파이널과 월드태권도팀선수권대회는 코트디브아르의 아비잔에서 개최하기로 했다.

2018 그랑프리 2차전은 러시아 모스크바, 그랑프리 3차전은 영국 맨체스터로 결정했다.

2019 그랑프리 2차전은 일본 지바, 그랑프리 파이널과 월드태권도팀선수권대회는 러시아 모스크바에서 열린다.

그외, '2019 유소년태권도선수권대회'는 호주의 시드니에서 열고, '2020 세계품새선수권대회'는 덴마크의 바일레(Vejle)에서 개최하기로 했다.

조정원 WTF 총재는 "토마스 바흐 국제올림픽위원회(IOC) 위원장이 내년 6월 무주에서 열리는 '2017 세계태권도선수권대회' 기간 중 무주를 방문해 태권도 경기를 관람하고 폐막식에 참석할 예정"이라고 말했다. "모레부터 개최되는 세계태권도청소년선수권대회가 끝난 후 모나코에서 WTF와 피스 앤 스포츠(Peace and Sport)간에 MOU를 체결하고 전 세계 난민 돕기 프로젝트를 협력키로 했다."고 말하고, WTF 집행위원들도 태권도박애재단의 여러 활동에 더 많은 관심과 참여를 부탁했다.

다음 임시집행위원회는 2017년 3월 태국 방콕에서 열기로 했다.

집행위원회 다음 날인 15일에는 WTF 총회가 개최되고 16일부터는 2016 세계태권도청소년선수권 대회가 5일동안 개최된다.

이번 대회는 102개국에서 만15세부터 17세 사이의 청소년 선수 846명이 참가신청을 했다.

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