[By WTF/NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The 5th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships kicked off for a three-day run in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Oct. 8, 2010.

The WTF-promoted event, which takes place at the 2,800-seat Universal Sports Palace Uzbekistan, drew a total of 447 contestants, including 194 females, from 59 countries.

The first edition of the World Poomsae Championships was held in Seoul, Korea in 2006, attracting 407 athletes from 57 countries, while the second event took place in Incheon, Koresa in 2007 with 400 athletes from 50 countries. The third event was held in Ankara, Turkey in 2008 with 363 athletes from 48 countries, compared with 565 contestants from 59 countries in Cairo, Egypt in 2009 for the fourth edition. The next 6th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships are scheduled for 2011 in Vladivostok, Russia.

In terms of the number of athletes for the Tashkent event, Spain topped other participating countries as it fielded 24 athletes, followed by Turkey with 20 athletes. Host Uzbekistan, Russia and Germany fielded 19 contestants each, while Iran and the United States dispatched 18 athletes each.

The opening day of the three-day event featured six events: the men’s individual junior, the women’s individual junior, the 2nd pair, the men’s individual 1st master, the men’s individual 3rd master, and the women’s individual 3rd master division.

Korea won two gold medals and two silver medals on the first day, while Great Britain clinched two gold medals. Turkey and Russia earned one gold each. Host Uzbekistan and Vietnam won one silver and one bronze each. China and Spain grabbed one silver each, while Italy and Iran took home two bronze medals each.

In the men’s individual junior category, Korea’s Wang-kon Hwang won the gold, while Vietnam’s Le Anh Minh earned his country the silver medal. The bronze went to Uzbekistan’s Satarov Zafar and Iran’s Mahdi Jamal Fashi.

In the women’s individual junior division, Korea’s Sung-yae Cho clinched the gold and China’s Yao Jingjing grabbed the silver. Vietnam’s Minh Tu Nguyen and Iran’s Bahareh Ghaderian shared the bronze medal.

In the 2nd pair category, Germany’s Elvira Brigitte Fuhrmann and Michael Bussmann won the gold medal, while Spain’s Yolanda Ubero and Alberto F. Delgado clinched the silver. The bronze went to Italy’s Andrea Notaro and Maria Giovanna Chiappelli, and Mexico’s Miguel Angel Nava Santa Ana and Aura Trevino Ugarte.

In the men’s individual 1st master category, Turkey’s Mustafa Yilmaz won the gold and Korea’s Kyeong-min Bae took home the silver. The bronze went to Italy’s Andrea Notaro and the Netherlands’ Ata Alavi.

In the men’s individual 3rd master division, Great Britain’s Tong Wan Shin won the gold and Korea’s Yeong-bok Oh clinched the silver. The bronze went to Colombia’s Oscar Posada and France’s Moon Ho Lee.

In the women’s individual 3rd master category, Russia’s Valentina Kontorina earned his country the gold medal and Uzbekistan’s Taranova Alla took the silver medal.

In the afternoon, there was an opening ceremony of the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.

“While other WTF events show the dynamic nature of our sport, the World Poomsae Championships display the beauty of taekwondo. The control and intricacies of each move create an artistry that no other martial art can offer,” said WTF President Chungwon Choue at the opening ceremony of the event.

WTF President Choue continued to say, “Marking the 5th edition of these championships adds yet another milestone to an already prestigious year. Taekwondo has been part of the 1st ever Youth Olympic Games and the inaugural SportAccord Combat Games. Taekwondo poomsae has also been included in the 2013 World Masters Games.”

“In the future, the WTF hopes to develop and transform the poomsae championships further. These changes will allow the athletes to demonstrate their techniques and artistry in their own way. This will allow for tradition and modernization to merge in harmony,” Dr. Choue said.

Among VIPs who attended the opening ceremony were Mr. Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, vice prime minister of Uzbekistan; Mr. Tuhtaev Abdukahhor Hasanovich, governor of Tashkent City; and Mr. Botir Rakhmatovich Parpiev, president of the Uzbekistan Taekwondo Association.