Pakistan to host CW Taekwondo Championship

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be hosting the Commonwealth Taekwondo Championship for the first time in the history of sports in January-February 2016 here at the Pakistan Sports Complex.

Addressing media persons here at a local hotel on Tuesday, Lt. Col. (R) Waseem Ahmed, President Pakistan Taekwondo Federation, said during the World Taekwondo Championship 2015 held in Russia he managed to have some congenial meetings with the designated officials and personnel of World Taekwondo federation, Asian Taekwondo Union and with Continental Taekwondo Presidents for the allotment of this event.

Before that Pakistan had placed a formal bid for this event after taking consent from the Ministry of IPC through PSB and President Pakistan Olympic Association Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Arif Hassan (HI) Military, he said.

He said this Championship will further support the Government’s stance to promote sporting culture in the country.

He said a total of 85 million will be needed to host this mega event and if Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) gives up the 25% of this amount we will be very grateful to them. The rest we will generate from the private sponsors he said.

He said he will be requesting the Army and Navy to provide security for the mega event. We will be asking the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) to help us in getting the equipment for the mega event he said.

He said this is definitely going to be a mega event in country's sporting history as officials and athletes from all continents will be featuring in the mega event.

Member countries of World Children Taekwondo Union (CTU) will be invited in the event. He said this huge event will add steadily to the social and economic development of the country. This will also be a puff of fresh breeze for those who are striving hard for the holding of International Sports events in Pakistan he said.