Cuban taekwondo family celebrates first Olympic victory
Havana, October 16 (ACN)-- World Taekwondo (WT), the governing organization of the sport, highlights Cuban two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Rafael Alba among the contenders to win the Manchester Grand Prix, scheduled for October 21-23.
The World Taekwondo Grand Prix will return to its birthplace in Manchester from October 21-23 when the world's best taekwondists will once again fight for glory, said a WT statement on its official website.
The English city will host the third of three World Grand Prix stops in 2022, after those held in Rome and Paris. The final will be in Wuxi, China.
Alba, over 80 kilograms (kg) won in the capital of France last September 4, after beating Croatian Ivan Sapina in three rounds (2-1), by scores of 4-0, 4-5 and 7-2.
To reach the final in Paris, the super heavyweight from Santiago defeated 2-0 in a spectacular semifinal against the Olympic champion of Rio de Janeiro 2016, Cheick Sallah Cissé, from Ivory Coast, after dominating 2-0 the Croatian Pasko Bozic and the Norwegian Milos Pilipovic and 2-1 the Moroccan Ayoub Bassel.
In Manchester, 256 athletes from 61 countries will fight in the Olympic divisions, the men's 58, 68 and 80 kg and the women's 49, 57, 67 and over 67 kg, each with 32 contenders; in addition, a refugee team will compete.
Chungwon Choue, WT President, said, "The World Taekwondo Grand Prix is all about the best fighting the best, so we are always guaranteed excellent fights and an exciting spectacle. Manchester is a special place for taekwondo, where the Grand Prix started in 2013."
"We know the city can host world-class taekwondo events as we saw with the World Championships in 2019 and the European Championships last year; we are confident that this Grand Prix will be no different," added the South Korean.
Precisely in 2019 in Manchester, Alba conquered her second world title, after winning in 2013 in Puebla, Mexico, the country that will host the next world championship from November 13 to 20, in Guadalajara.
