Taekwondo competitions will take place Nov. 24-28, according to the organizers. For the poomsae competition, those adults aged 18 years and older will compete for top honors in individual, pairs and team divisions, while those juniors aged 17 years and younger in the same categories. The kyorugi division will feature eight categories each for males and females.

The 2013 Bolivarian Games will feature a total of 36 sports. The major international multi-sport event is expected to draw some 5,000 athletes from 11 or 12 countries.

The 2013 event will be the first Bolivarian Games to have athletes from 11 or 12 countries, instead of the usual six members of the Bolivarian Sports Organization, or ODEBO. The ODEBO member countries are Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

The event takes place every four years. The next Bolivarian Games will take place in Soacha, Colombia in 2017. The previous Bolivarian Games took place in Sucre, Bolivia on Nov. 15-26, 2009.

"PATU has been in the forefront of making our sport to be included in the multi-sport games in the past, and we will continue our efforts to include the poomsae competition in our multi-sports games in the Pan Am region," said Grandmaster Ji-ho Choi, president of the Pan American Taekwondo Union. "We hope that the WTF and all other Continental Unions will make our unified efforts to include the poomsae competition in all multi-sports games in the world to realize the inclusion of the poomsae competition in the Summer Olympic Games in the near future."

PATU President Choi continued to say, "PATU will continue our efforts to include the poomsae competition in the upcoming Central and Caribbean Games to be held in Varacruz, Mexico in 2014, and South American Games to be held in Santiago, Chile in 2014 as well." "Once successful, PATU will make our efforts to convince the Organizing Committee of Toronto and the Pan Am Sports Organization (PASO) for the 2015 Pan Am Games to be held in Toronto, Canada."