2017 Tournament Schedule Complete
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Taekwondo Canada wrapped up its tournament hosting schedule as both the Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships and the 2017 Canada Open came to an end in Montreal on October 1st.
The Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships took place from September 27th to 28th, and the Canada Open followed immediately, running from September 29th to October 1st. Both events were live streamed on Taekwondo Canada’s Facebook page. You can find the recorded video here.
For the Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships, Taekwondo Canada welcomed a total of 277 athletes from 11 countries to join the two-day competition. Athletes competed in sparring competitions in both Junior and Senior divisions, as well as Poomsae competitions for all ages. By hosting the Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships, Taekwondo Canada is taking a leadership role in working with the Commonwealth Taekwondo Union (CTU) to get taekwondo included in the programme of sports in Commonwealth Games.
2017 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships Awards Recipients
Female VIP: Andrea Jerom (CAN)
Male VIP: Jordan Stewart (CAN)
Best Coach – Female Division: SungMin Son (CAN)
Best Coach – Male Division: Jerome Cabanatan (CAN)
Best Referee: Daniel Park (CAN)
Best Referee: Angela De Abreu (IND)
This year’s Canada Open was the biggest event since its inception in 2010, featuring 903 registrants from 38 countries around the globe. During the tournament’s opening ceremony, a special tribute for Grand Master Chong Lee was led by Chong Lee Taekwondo’s own Evangelos Ligeros and Wayne Mitchell, the President of Taekwondo Canada.
“Grand Master Chong Lee was the founder of Taekwondo in Canada bringing our great art with his arrival in 1964. His enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to excellence has touched all aspects of Taekwondo development,” said Wayne Mitchell. “He had produced too many great athletes, national team members and international champions to name. His belief that education would make better coaches and a stronger athlete was unwavering.”
The competition itself featured a strong showing from the United States team, while Canadian athletes took gold in 18 different weight classes in Kyorugi. On the Poomsae side, spectators were treated to world-class performances by 2016 World Poomsae Championship gold medalists Ho Duy Tran and Kim Uyen Le from Vietnam.
2017 Canada Open Awards Recipients
Female VIP: Carissa Fu (USA)
Male VIP: David Kim (USA)
Best Coach – Female Division: Yosvany Perez (USA)
Best Coach – Female Division: Dan Chuang (USA)
Best Referee: Yuong Hwan Choi (KOR)
Best Referee: Sonia Villeneuve (CAN)
Darryl Elyk, Taekwondo Canada’s Event Manager, said these two events have proven that Canada has the capacity to host international events like Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships.
“We are very pleased with the feedback we’ve received from the participants so far. These two events have shown a promising future for taekwondo in Canada and we are confident in providing even better competition experiences for Canadian and international athletes,” said Elyk. “The success of these two events also is a confidence boost for us to plan and bid for large-scale World Taekwondo sanctioned events in the near future.”
Akross Canada was officially announced as Taekwondo Canada’s Global Partner through 2018 during the Canada Open. Taekwondo Canada also would like to thank our partners including Sport Canada, Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, Tourism Montreal, the City of Montreal, Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard, as well as other event sponsors including Bushido Sports, 2020 Armor and Dando Sports for their support.
With National Championships coming in February, the Taekwondo Canada team will have limited time to celebrate. As of now, the date and location of next year’s Canada Open have not yet been determined. Please stay tuned to our website, and follow us on social media for announcements regarding the 2018 Canada Open.
