(July 15, 2016) - Around 300 male and female athletes assembled in Canberra today for the official weigh-in ahead of the first ever WTF President’s Cup in the Oceania region as the WTF continues to expand its portfolio of world-class taekwondo tournaments around the world.

The inaugural competition will take place in AIS Arena on July 16-17 and involve athletes of all ages from cadets through to seniors for Poomsae and Kyorugi; kyorugi competition will take place in July 16 and Poomsae competition will take place in July 17. A total of eight countries will take part in the event with 12 weight categories in cadet, 9 weight categories in junior and 8 weight categories in senior for kyorugi competition. Senior athletes are classified as 17 years and older while junior athletes are those born between 1999 and 2001 and cadet athletes are those born between 2002 and 2004. Poomsae competition is divided into gender and age: 8 age division for individual competition, 4 age division for pair competition, and 4 age division for team competition.

The tournament will operate a single elimination system according to WTF rules, with individual matches consisting of three, two minutes rounds with a one minute break between each round.

WTF President Chungwon Choue said:

“We are delighted that Australia is hosting the first ever WTF President’s Cup in the Oceania region this weekend. The WTF President’s Cup is a very popular event with fans and spectators as it brings together cadet, junior and senior athletes at one event, providing a completely unique sporting experience. There are few sports that are as accessible to people of all ages, genders and social backgrounds in the same way that taekwondo is.

“Taekwondo is truly a sport for all and it is this accessibility which ensures that the sport is practiced around the world. At the WTF we are committed to developing the sport around the world and ensuring that as many people as possible enjoy the benefits of taking part in the sport.”