[By WTF/NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The WTF Pan American Taekwondo Qualification Tournament for the 2012 London Olympic Games will be held on Nov. 18-20, 2011 in Queretaro, Mexico.

The three-day event will take place at the Queretaro Centro de Congresos in Queretaro.
A total of 24 athletes, the top three athletes in each of the four male and four female Olympic weight categories, will qualify their National Olympic Committees a place each for the 2012 London Olympic Games through the Pan American Qualification Tournament.

Twenty eight countries have submitted their entry forms for 87 athletes to the WTF by the Oct. 31 deadline. Each country may enter a maximum two male and two female athletes, with one athlete per weight category.

The WTF continental qualifier will use an instant video replay system and the Daedo protector and scoring system (PSS). A total of 30 international referees, including four review juries, will officiate at the tournament.

Twenty five percent of the registered athletes per weight category will be seeded based on the WTF World Ranking as of Nov. 1, 2011. In the event that the registered athlete from the host country of the Asian qualifier, Thailand, has not been included in the 25 percent, he or she will be seeded at the last place of the seeded 25 percent.

The event will be followed by the Asian Qualification Tournament set for Nov. 26-27 in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Taekwondo Test Event for the 2012 London Olympic Games slated for Dec. 3-4 in London, the United Kingdom.

The WTF African Qualification Tournament will take place on Jan. 11-12, 2012 in Port Said, Egypt, and the European Qualification Tournament on Jan. 27-29 in Kazan, Russia.
A total of 128 athletes will compete for top honors at the taekwondo competition of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Through the world and five WTF qualification tournaments, 120 athletes will be determined. Four spots, known as wild cards, will be decided on through the tripartite consultation among the IOC, the ANOC and the WTF, while the host country of Great Britain will automatically secure four Olympic tickets.