The Asian Taekwondo Qualification Tournament for t

 
 
The Asian Taekwondo Qualification Tournament for the 2012 London Olympic Games has been postponed until further notice due to flooding in Bangkok, Thailand, according to the World Taekwondo Federation. The Asian Qualification Tournament was originally scheduled for Nov. 4-5, 2011 at the Mall Convention Center in Bangkok. The top three athletes in each of the eight Olympic weight categories, a total of 24, will qualify their National Olympic Committees a place each for the 2012 London Olympic Games through the Asian Qualification Tournament. “It is with much regret to inform you that the World Taekwondo Federation, the Asian Taekwondo Union and the Taekwondo Association of Thailand have jointly made the final decision to postpone the Asian Qualification Tournament for 2012 London Olympic Games,” said WTF Secretary General Jin Suk Yang in a letter to WTF member national associations. The letter was posted on the WTF Web site on Oct. 26, 2011.The letter continued to say, “As already notified to you in the WTF letters of October 18 and October 24, we have been closely monitoring the situation in Thailand in cooperation with the Taekwondo Association of Thailand on an hourly and daily basis.” “The Taekwondo Association of Thailand has been strongly advising the WTF that the Organizing Committee will be able to organize the tournament as scheduled, indicating that the areas where competition will be held have not been affected.” The letter said, “The flood situation in Bangkok, however, changes on a daily or sometimes even hourly basis, and the Prime Minister of Thailand announced to the public last night that Bangkok may be flooded soon.” According to the information collected by the WTF, the letter said, some of the flights supposed to arrive in Bangkok have been cancelled and also the governments of some countries are urging their citizens to refrain from traveling to Bangkok.“Under this unforeseen and uncontrollable situation caused by natural disaster, the WTF feels the strong need to put the first priority on the safety of athletes and officials and thus hereby announce that the Asian Qualification Tournament is indefinitely postponed until further notice from the WTF,” the letter said. “The WTF will diligently work on the establishment of the action plan, including the decision on the new competition dates and place, in close coordination with Asian Taekwondo Union.”

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