Para-Taekwondo Continues To Make Strides
Photos from the 2015 Asian Para-Taekwondo Championships
(May 22, 2015) – Last month in Taipei City,
Taiwan, Americans Evan Medell (Grand
Haven, Mich.) and U.S. Army Staff
Sergeant Corbin Stacey (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) both captured medals at the
inaugural Asian Para-Taekwondo Championships. They were among the 23
participating athletes representing 10 countries as para taekwondo kyorugi
continues to flourish as a newly added sport on the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games
program. The participating countries at the event were Iran, Mongolia, Nepal,
Korea, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates,
Japan and Kazakhstan.
“The Asian Para-Taekwondo Championships was an awesome
experience where I actually saw the next Steven Lopez of our new sport,” said
Stacey of the 18-year-old Medell. “Evan has the potential to compete in the
2020, 2024 and 2028 Paralympic Games, as well as several world championships,
beginning with his first this September in Turkey.”
In the K44, +75kg category, Iran's Asghar Aziziaghdam
beat Medell, 12-5, in the final match for the gold medal. In the semifinals,
Aziziaghdam ousted Stacey by a score of 3-0.
The inaugural Asian Para-Taekwondo Championships were
open to participation by all WTF member nations. G4 world ranking points were awarded
to Asian Taekwondo Union athletes, while athletes from other continents were
awarded G2 world ranking points.
A KP&P protector and scoring system, and an
instant video replay system were used. The duration of each contest was three
rounds of one minute and 30 seconds, with a one-minute break between rounds.
Modified competition rules were used at this one-day
event. Kicks to the head were banned. Punches were allowed, but no points were
given. A valid kick to the body earned an athlete one point and a valid turning
kick to the body three points.
Stacey is encouraged by the progress
para-taekwondo is experiencing.
“We have made great developments on the USA side
and I'm proud to announce the Veterans Administration has included us in
their $8 million grant program to help develop our sport,” he said.
Initially, para-taekwondo focused on developing
kyorugi for limb deficiency and arm amputee athletes. Since then, it has
expanded to include athletes of all disabilities. Poomsae is now available for
athletes with neurological impairments, intellectual disabilities (ID) or
visually impaired (VI) athletes.
In March of 2014, the World Taekwondo Federation
signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Wheelchair and
Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) for the further development of para-taekwondo
for limb deficiency athletes and wheelchair athletes. This meant the WTF was
connected to all four of the International Organizations of Sport for the
Disabled, something that is essential to the development of para-taekwondo as
an all-inclusive sport.
Para-taekwondo sparring divisions for athletes
18 and older will be contested at the 2015 USA Taekwondo National Championships in Austin, Texas, July 4-11. All athletes competing in the
para-taekwondo sparring division must be classified by a WTF classifier. There
will be three weight divisions for both male and female: male fin (-61kg), male
light (-75kg), male heavy (+75kg), female fin (-49kg), female light (-58kg) and
female heavy (+58kg). The sport classes contested are K41, K42, K43 and K44.
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