Napier to host International Taekwon-Do champs as they go virtual

Ben Evans videos Tupuna Rangi and Aidan McCance at Hawkes Bay ITF Taekwon-Do, ahead of the special needs virtual world champs. Photo / Warren Buckland

In the absence of international travel, the organisers of the special needs taekwondo world championships have had to think outside the box to see the competition go ahead.

Napier's Pettigrew Green Arena will play host to the first ever Virtual Special Needs Taekwon-Do International (SNTI) World Championships on November 25.

Competitors must submit performance videos across a number of categories, before organiser's stream live around the globe to announce the winners.

SNTI president and owner of Taekwon-Do HQ on Kings St, Hastings, Ben Evans said the virtual format enables competitors from more countries to compete.

"This will enable other countries that may not have been able to travel far or may not have the funding to be able to compete; they just have to upload a video," Evans said.

"The interest is growing in other countries now they know there's an opportunity to be in this event."

The events include power breaking patterns, team patterns, high kick and unified abilities.

Evans, who is also the president of the Special Needs Taekwon-Do Federation of New Zealand, said they've had a huge response from the local community already, with a large number of local participants in with a chance to represent New Zealand at the championships.

"We've got between 60 and 70 special needs students from Hawke's Bay alone," he said.

The sport itself has grown rapidly in the region over the past few years; with NZITF Hawke's Bay having more than 400 members in mainstream and special needs categories.

Evans, a fifth degree black belt, said the organisation is the front runner for catering to special needs.

"Many people come to us if they have a special needs kid who wants to do taekwondo, or thinks it will be good for them. We're always that number one hotspot that they come to," he said.

"It's safe in terms of what we offer and they don't get hurt doing what we do."

New Zealand was the first to hold the world games in October 2019 at the Pettigrew Green Arena.

Video entries must be submitted by November 15.