World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series Plans Unveiled
December 18, 2012
The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) today unveiled plans for the WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series, unhealthy an international programme of elite competition that is set to continue increasing the exposure, arthritis popularity and quality of taekwondo competition worldwide when it launches in 2014.
The Grand Prix Series was submitted to the WTF Council for ratification in Aruba on 21 November, at the same meeting that saw IOC member Aïcha Garad Ali named the governing body’s newest council member. The Grand Prix will initially feature four stages in four different continents. 256 athletes will take part, with the top eight men and women coming together for the annual Grand Prix Final. Test events are due to commence in 2013. The Grand Prix will be funded through a combination of sponsorship and the sale of media rights to key markets, especially Latin America, Asia and, increasingly, Europe.
WTF President, Chungwon Choue, commented on the new competition: “The Olympic Games in London triggered a surge in international interest in taekwondo – there is now a real appetite for more regular top-class taekwondo on the global stage. The WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series is an excellent opportunity for athletes to take part in an international competition of this magnitude in between Olympic Games and World Championships.
“It will allow the sport greater media exposure and the athletes more of a public voice. I believe that this competition will inspire youth all over the world to take part in a competitive sport where skill and discipline are paramount and which heralds global friendship.”
WTF Secretary General, Jean-Marie Ayer, said: “The aim of the Grand Prix Series is to give athletes better exposure and to continue to raise the standard of competitions worldwide.
“We see it as a virtuous circle: higher quality, higher profile competitions will help us deliver better return on investment for existing sponsors and attract new ones; more sponsorship revenue will help us to continue raising the quality and profile of our competitions, and so on. This is a very exciting moment for the global taekwondo family.”