Capital to Host 2011 Taekwon-do World Champs | infonews.co.nz New Zealand News

Local martial arts fans will be elated with the news that Wellington has won the rights to host the 2011 Taekwon-do World Championships.

Last July, the International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF) voted to accept New Zealand's bid to host the World Championships. Since then the New Zealand branch of the ITF has been working with Wellington City Council to confirm Wellington as the host city.

Nick Lourantos, the chairman of 2011 World Championships, says the decision to host the event in the Capital was not a difficult one. "Wellington is really a perfect fit for this event – it's a compact, exciting city and the locals have a great reputation for getting behind events."

Combining elements of combat technique, self-defence and philosophy, Taekwon-do is (in terms of practitioners) the most popular martial art in the world.

With more than 3000 students in New Zealand, we have a thriving Taekwon-do scene and, going by previous results (finishing third overall in 2007), New Zealand is likely to field one of the stronger teams at the 2011 Championships.

Mayor Kerry Prendergast says the decision to host the Championships in Wellington further strengthens the city's reputation as the New Zealand's Events Capital. "This is great news for the Capital – it will be a wonderful boost for both the local economy and the local martial-arts scene."

To mark the confirmation of Wellington as the host of the 2011 World Championships, the International Taekwon-do Foundation has organised a Taekwon-do demonstration happening at 2.30pm this Thursday in Civic Square.