WTF instates Para-Taekwondo Governing Board

Following the enactment of a para-taekwondo bylaw in May this year, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has appointed eight members of the WTF Para-Taekwondo Governing Board, including two athlete representatives.

The Para-Taekwondo Governing Board will be chaired by Koos Engelbrecht who formerly was the chairman of the WTF Para-Taekwondo Committee that successfully bid for the inclusion on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic programme.

Under the WTF Statutes, the chairman of the Para-Taekwondo Governing Board will automatically be an ex-officio WTF Council member.

In his acceptance letter, Engelbrecht said: “It is an honour for me to be appointed as Chairman of the Para-Taekwondo Governing Board. This is a task I will take up to serve WTF and its members to the best of my ability.

“I am looking forward to working with the Para-Taekwondo Governing Board and continuing the development of para-taekwondo to become a leading sport in the Paralympic family."

The Para-Taekwondo Governing Board is composed of the following members:

• Koos Engelbreacht, Chairman, South Africa

• Dr. Gabriel Fife, Member, USA

• Dr. David O'Sullivan, Member, Ireland

• Terrie Moore, Member, Canada

• Prof. Fernando Akilian, Member, Argentina

• Aleksandr Shlychkov, Member, Russia

• Steven Currie, Athlete Member, Australia

• Lisa Standeven, Athlete Member, Canada

WTF President Chungwon Choue said: "The Para-Taekwondo Governing Board has been carefully selected to ensure that the WTF has a solid base to develop taekwondo as an all-inclusive sport and expand the competition formats to include athletes of all disabilities. Their work will also be to perfect all aspects of the para-taekwondo kyorugi discipline that will be featured on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games programme."