Para-taekwondo continues rapid development following inclusion at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has published the full list of WTF Para-Taekwondo World Rankings as it continues to demonstrate the rapid development of para-taekwondo worldwide.
World Rankings in para-taekwondo kyorugi were first introduced at the 2015 Canada Para-Taekwondo Open (G-1) in February this year and have since been implemented at the 1st Asian Para-Taekwondo Championships (G-4/G-2) and the 4th European Para-Taekwondo Championships (G-4/G-2).
The WTF Para-Taekwondo World Ranking consists of four classifications. Each class is divided into three male and three female weight categories for a total of 24 divisions. The top four athletes in each class and division will be seeded in all para-taekwondo World Ranking events. There are currently 97 athletes (78 male, 19 female) ranked in 19 divisions. The K44 +75kg is the largest male division with 17 ranked athletes and K44 -58kg is the largest female division with 7 ranked athletes. The WTF expects this to grow to 150 athletes by the end of 2015 as it hosts more World Ranking events including the 1st Oceania Para-Taekwondo Championships (G-4/G-2).
WTF President Chungwon Choue said:
"We are very happy with the participation we have seen in our initial World Ranking events. Since we had the honour of being included in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Programme we have seen an increase in the sport across our 206 member national associations. By the end of this year we will have hosted the first ever Para-Taekwondo Championships in Asia and Oceania which shows the global appetite that exists for our sport.
"But, this is only the beginning for para-taekwondo. We are committed to working closely with the IPC to continue to develop our World Ranking system and increase participation particularly amongst women. World Rankings are vital in ensuring that the very best athletes compete against each other regularly, improving the quality of competition and guaranteeing the very best spectacle for fans. This will be reflected in the strength of field and quality of sport the global para-sport fan base will be able to enjoy at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020."
The WTF also announced earlier this year that the para-taekwondo competition at the IWAS World Games has been given a G-4 status for the promotion of this important multisport event.
For more information contact:
Justin Shea on +44 7917 825412
or at sg@wtf.org
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