Taekwondo is bidding for Paralympic Games inclusion for the first time but is among eight sports that are being made to wait to see if they make the final cut when the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board meets again in Abu Dhabi from January 30 to February 1 next year.

But the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Council has today approved a strategic plan for the development and expansion of the sport between 2015 and 2020, promising it will be implemented regardless of whether it is approved for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics or not.

The plan encompasses five key areas, according to the WTF - competition, research, education, development and partnerships.

The WTF claims it will continue to increase the number of national and international competitions that will include the introduction of Para-taekwondo Championships in Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Last month, Para-taekwondo was part of the Pan American Taekwondo Championships for the third consecutive edition, while Moscow staged the fifth World Para-Taekwondo Championships in June this year.

The WTF will also apply for inclusion in Paralympic continental multisport events, such as the Parapan American Games and Asian Para Games.

It also plans to introduce a Para-taekwondo world rankings system next year to ensure the very best athletes compete against one another on a regular basis.

The world governing body says it will also continue its ongoing research into improving and refining its classification rules, while it will conduct injury surveillance research at Para-taekwondo competitions to identify potential areas of risk.

The WTF says it will continue to refine and improve classification rules for Para-taekwondo as well as further research into injury prevention ©ITG



Grassroots education programmes for schools, coaches and trainers will be implemented to spread awareness of Para-taekwondo among the WTF's 206 Member National Associations to increase global participation, it is promised.

Technical officials, team officials, coaches and athletes will receive education in competition and classification rules, along with specialist programmes for international classifiers.

Earlier this year, the WTF announced the establishing of a development fund and this will continue over the next five years and will allocate special funds for increasing youth and female participation.

The WTF will work with existing taekwondo clubs and national federations to promote the sport in local communities worldwide.

In terms of partnerships, the WTF says it will continue to work closely with the IPC and actively contribute to the advancement of the Paralympic Movement.

Over the next five years, the WTF aims to maintain and consolidate its relationship with all International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled and the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf to ensure it learns from their experience and expertise and delivers the best possible sport for people with an impairment.

The WTF claims it will also create compelling sponsorship packages for global partners in taekwondo in the 2016-2020 Paralympic cycle and reinvest these revenues into the sport.

WTF President Chungwon Choue presented at the IPC Governing Board meeting earlier this week as Tokyo 2020 remains a possibility for Para-taekwondo ©ITG



"Para-taekwondo is a relatively new sport," said WTF President Chungwon Choue.

"We may not have the same history as other Para-sports but we do have huge potential.

"The strategic plan we have approved today will help us realise this potential.

"We have spent the last six years working on establishing a robust foundation for our sport.

"We have developed our classification and competition rules, increased our base of athletes and developed the quantity and quality of our international competitions.

"The action plan for the next five years will guarantee the growth of our sport and will be implemented irrespective of whether we are successful in our bid for inclusion in the Paralympic Games.

"We will carefully study the feedback from the IPC and guarantee that our strategic plan addresses the issues identified in their review.

"We remain convinced that we can add significant value to the IPC by connecting it with new markets and bringing a new, exciting and dynamic sport to the Paralympic Games."

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