Pakistan hope to host Olympic taekwondo qualifiers next year

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the history of the country’s sports, Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) has formally submitted a bid to hold the Olympic 2024 (Paris) Qualifying Round, which will be held at the start of next year.

Lt Col (retd) Wasim, the PTF president confirmed that the federation submitted the bid to hold the Olympic Qualifying Round which, if approved, will be the first occasion in the country's sports history.

“Never before Pakistan has staged the Olympic qualifying round in any sports. We have submitted the bid to the Asian Taekwondo Union General Assembly that meets on June 22, 2022, in Seoul (Korea) to decide on the fate of the Qualifying Round. I am hopeful and confident that Pakistan’s bid would be successful following what we have shown the continent during the COAS Pakistan Open where 16 countries and over 150 athletes competed. The event that ran from November 1-5, 2021 was hailed by the Asian countries. Considering the organisational success of that event, I am hopeful that leading countries will support Pakistan's bid,” Wasim said.

He was confident that the federal government would fully back the federation to achieve the feat. “Since the Olympic qualifying round is an effort to help our top taekwondo players make it to the 2024 Paris Games, government support is a must for the success of the bid. We hope to get the required support from the federal government in an effort to make our claim even stronger."

Besides the Olympic qualifying, the federation has submitted the bid to host the 5th Asian Open Taekwondo in November and December 2023 on the heels of the fourth edition that has already been allotted to Pakistan, going to be held from October 31 to November 4, 2022.

“Both are big events. We have already been allotted the 4th Asian Open and now we are also working on hosting the 5th Asian Open in November 2023. Our credentials to host international mega-events have been recognised by the member countries. We are hopeful to organise the Olympic Qualifying round in Islamabad in 2023 and later the 5th edition of the Asian Open,” he said.

The Taekwondo season starts in Pakistan from June this year with the National Championship to be held at the Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad from June 8 to 12.