[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The World Taekwondo Federation approved three Oceania countries – Nauru, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia - as its new members at its Council meeting at a hotel in Vladivostok, Russia on July 28, 2011.
With the addition, the WTF’s global membership has expanded to 200, the 8th largest among International Sports Federations.
The three provisional members will become full members of the WTF pending a final approval at the WTF’s next General Assembly.
The three provisional member national associations can attend the WTF-promoted and sanctioned competitions, but have no voting rights until they become full members.
With the Council approval, the number of Oceania Taekwondo Union members has increased to 19, compared with 45 for the African Taekwondo Union, 43 for the Asian Taekwondo Union, 49 for the European Taekwondo Union, 44 for the Pan American Taekwondo Union.
The WTF had only seven national member associations when it was established in 1973. They are Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Ecuador, Germany, Korea, the Philippines and Mexico. The WTF global membership increased to 65 in 1980, 106 in 1990, 153 in 2000 and 179 in 2005.
At the WTF Council meeting, the Council decided to select the host site of the 2013 World Taekwondo Championships at the next WTF General Assembly. It also decided to select the host site of the next WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships within one month
The Council also decided that in the event that the registered athlete from the host nation has not been included in the 25 percent (WTF event) or 50 percent (Olympic Games), he or she will be seeded at the 4th place.
It approved amendments to the WTF Statute, the WTF Competition Rules and the WTF Poomsae Competition Rules, pending final approval of the General Assembly.
Among the approved WTF Statute are the inclusion of the WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps, the WTF Demonstration Team and the WTF Pro-Taekwondo Foundation in the WTF’s mission and objectives, and the addition of the WTF Continental Taekwondo Union’s establishment of separate Continental Para-Taekwondo Unions that operate under the Continental Union.
It also approved that after its admittance into the WTF, the member national association shall be expected to submit to the WTF a letter of recognition from the pertinent National Olympic Committee, or in its absence the highest national sports authority.
The approved amendments to the WTF Competition Rules include that in the case that a competitor intentionally turns the back and steps away from the opponent to avoid the attack of the opponent, the referee shall give “Gam-jeom.”If the referee finds that the action was resulted from obvious lack of spirit of fair play and sportsmanship, the referee may report to the technical delegate after the contest for consideration of further sanction against the competitor.
The Council also approved that in case of using the protector and scoring system, the position of sensors on the sensing socks shall be determined by the WTF.
At the 2012 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships in Aruba and afterwards, the Council decided to adopt the tag-team match format shown at the 2010 WTF World Taekwondo Tour Moscow, Russia.
The Council heard reports on the preparations for the WTF’s 40th anniversary by Mr. Dai-soon Lee, a vice president of the WTF; and on the 2011 European Masters Games by Mr. Sun-jae Park, a vice president of the WTF.