Press Release - World Taekwondo Federation Membership Expands to 197

WTF Membership Expands to 197 with Addition of 5 New National Associations

The World Taekwondo Federation approved five countries as its new members at its 22nd General Assembly in Gyeongju, Korea on April 30, 2011.

The five countries are Cook Islands, Rwanda, Tuvalu, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Guadeloupe and Martinique won an associate membership status. Thus, the WTF’s global membership jumped to 197 countries, ranking ninth among International Sports Federations.

"This is such an exciting time for our sport. We are growing in numbers and reaching into areas that other sports have yet to explore," said WTF President Chungwon Choue during the General Assembly. "Taekwondo is truly a sport that breaks barriers and opens the door for fairness and equality."

The General Assembly also approved amendments to the WTF Statutes, the WTF Competition Rules, and the WTF Poomsae Competition Rules.

Among major changes to the WTF Statutes are the increase in the number of WTF committees from the previous 12 to 13 and the names of the committees.

The General Assembly approved the addition of the Poomsae Committee as a sub-committee of the WTF Technical and Development Committee, formerly the Technical Committee.

The other WTF committees are the Women’s Committee, the TV & New Media Committee, the Marketing Committee, the Athletes & Coaches Committee, the Paralympic Committee, the Ethics Committee, the Youth & Collegiate Committee, the Anti-Doping & Medical Committee, the Juridical Committee, the Scientific Research Committee, the Taekwondo Tour Events Committee, and the Expansion Committee.

Under the approved new WTF Poomsae Competition Rules, the age limit for contestants in each division is based on the year, not on the date, when the championships are held.

A free style poomsae competition was newly added, with detailed scoring criteria and method of scoring. Free style poomsae is the performance based on taekwondo techniques with composition of music and choreography.

The classification of male and female poomsae divisions was also changed. The Junior Division was changed into the Under 17 Division, the 1st Senior Division into the Under 29 Division, the 2nd Senior Division into the Under 39 Division, the 1st Master Division into the Under 49 Division, and the 2nd Master Division into the Under 59 Division. A new Over 60 Division was newly added.

The General Assembly was supposed to hear the successful host sites for the 21st WTF World Taekwondo Championships and the 7th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, but the announcement will be made during the 6th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships on July 29-31, 2011 in Vladivostok, Russia. Two days ago, the WTF Council agreed to select the two sites through e-voting before announcing the results at the Vladivostok event.

The General Assembly heard progress reports from the organizing committees of the World Qualification Tournament of the taekwondo competition of the 2012 London Olympic Games, the taekwondo competition of the 2012 London Olympic Committee, the 9th World Junior Taekwondo Championships, the 2012 World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships & the 3rd WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships, and the 6th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.

In line with the WTF’s 2011 slogan "World Peace through Taekwondo," the participants also heard four special presentations on taekwondo programs for orphans and those with disabilities.

The presenters and their topics were Mr. Pimol Srivikorn, president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, on "Free Taekwondo Program for Orphans," Mrs. Maria Borello Castillo, a WTF Council member from Guatemala, and General Sergio Arnoldo Camargo Muralles, president of the Guatemala Olympic Committee, on "Taekwondo for Youth with Special Needs and Taekwondo as an Obligatory High School Course," Mr. Seung Kyung Lee, president of the American Taekwondo United, and another American master Sun-ki Chong on the "Health Kick" or "Board Breaking for Charity" program to raise funds for the women & children’s hospital in Buffalo, N.Y.," and Canadian Master Michael Siroa, president of the Sirota’s Alchymy Martial Arts and Life Skills Center, on "Taekwondo for the Disabled."

"There is so much that is ahead of us and there are a lot of people depending on our efforts. The hopes and dreams of so many hang in the balance of the work that we are commissioned to do," said WTF President Choue in his closing remarks during the opening ceremony. "This and only this must be the reason for the roles we serve. Any other reason cheats our taekwondo family of all they aspire to be."