[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The Mexican city of Puebla won the right to host the 2013 WTF World Taekwondo Championships as it outvoted Croatia’s candidate city of Split at its Council meeting at the Renaissance Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on April 2, 2012. The proposed dates for the biennial championships are June 17-23, 2013.

Chinese Taipei grabbed the right to host the 10th WTF World Junior Taekwondo Championships in 2014 in New Taipei City on July 23-27, 2014. Senegal earned the right to host both the 2013 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships and the 4th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Dakar. Chinese Taipei and Senegal were single candidates.

In line with the IOC guidelines, the WTF Council unanimously approved the enactment of bylaws on betting and anti-corruption, and the enactment of the WTF Medical Code.

The WTF has adopted these bylaws on betting and anti-corruption as a means of safeguarding the integrity of the sport of taekwondo by prohibiting any conduct that may impact improperly on the outcome of its events and competitions and establishing a mechanism of enforcement and sanction for those who, through their corrupt conduct, place the integrity of the sport at risk.

As an Olympic federation, the WTF recognizes the Olympic Movement Medical Code and the WTF has adopted the Medical Code to organize medical care and treatment, research on safety, anti-doping courses and the necessary controls to guard against doping in both in-competition and out-of-competition testing.

Under the enacted WTF Medical Code, the WTF requires that the medical control of the WTF-promoted and sanctioned competitions be in conformity with the WTF Medical Code and operated in close cooperation with the WTF Medical Committee.

The Council also approved proposals for the amendment to the WTF Statutes, amendment to the Competition Rules, amendment to the Poomsae Competition Rules, and amendment to the Rules on Organization and Operation of International Taekwondo Championships. All these amendment proposals will go to the WTF General Assembly on April 3 for final approval.

The Council unanimously approved Seychelles as its new member. Pending approval at the WTF General Assembly on April 3, Seychelles will become the WTF’s 201st member country.

The Council participants were briefed on the preparations for the taekwondo competition of the 2012 London Olympic Games. Mr. Dai-soon Lee, vice president of the WTF, briefed the Council members on the preparations for the WTF’s 40th anniversary of its founding. The Council members received a briefing on the “I Love Taekwondo” and “Friends Guard” project.

At the beginning of the WTF Council meeting, WTF President Chungwon Choue presented a plaque of appreciation to Mr. Jin Suk Yang for his five years of service as secretary general of the WTF.

WTF President Choue also gave a letter of appointment to Mr. Jean-Marie Ayer as new WTF secretary general, and two new WTF Council members – Mr. Heinz Gruber of Germany and Mr. Milan Kwee of Singapore.