Taekwondo

Havana, Sep 24 (JIT) - Cuban Elianet Crespo said goodbye to Peru with a pair of titles by winning the First Pan American Kukkiwon Taekwondo Cup in Lima.

Crespo had won gold earlier in the same Videna Hall in Lima, but with the specialty of combat in the division of +67 kilograms, Panam II U-22 Series, qualifying for the Junior Pan American Games of Asuncion 2025.

Also competing for the Island was Carlos Manuel Robles (68 kg), who advanced to the second round, but remained there, as in the qualifying tournament for the U-22 continental event in Paraguay.

“It is a Cup sponsored by the local federation of the sport,” Ivan Fernandez, president of the Cuban Taekwondo Federation, told JIT.

By naming it Kukkiwon, the Peruvians honored the World Taekwondo Academy, the headquarters of the sport of bandal.

Founded in 1972 in Seoul, South Korea, this organization is dedicated to the dissemination, training and research of taekwondo.

The Kukkiwon is responsible for awarding official certifications for the black belt (dan) and poom (for children under 14 years of age) grades. It also organizes seminars and leadership courses for taekwondo coaches and instructors.

“Soon we will have a specialist sent by the international federation to introduce us to much of what Kukkiwon proposes,” added Iván Fernández, also a national commissioner.

One of its main functions is the creation and regulation of poomsae, sequences of movements that combine attack and defense techniques.

Kukkiwon sets the standards for these imaginary combats and ensures that they are taught uniformly throughout the world.