British sports fans unable to see the world’s top taekwondo masters live in the flesh at Manchester Central next month will only have to press their red button to catch the action, it was announced on Monday.
GB Taekwondo announced a deal with the BBC to broadcast the December 13-15 World Grand Prix live, which will feature all 16 of the 2013 world champions plus all eight Olympic gold medallists competing across eight different weight categories and battling it out for vital qualification points ahead of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
British Olympic medallists Jade Jones and Lutalo Muhammad, together with Michael Harvey, Bianca Walkden and Martin Stamper, will represent the home team in the competition, with eight further wildcards to be announced in the coming weeks.
“With just four weeks to go until the competition kicks off, the world’s best athletes are entering the final phase of intensive training and preparation in readiness for Manchester,” GB Taekwondo director Steve Flynn said in a statement.
“We’re very excited about the new Grand Prix series and it’s a real boost to see the significance of the event recognised by the BBC. It’s fantastic exposure for Taekwondo, a sport that had such a huge impact at London 2012.”
The Grand Prix is part of UK Sport’s Gold Event Series, which aims to bring over 70 world class sporting events to these shores and build a sporting legacy post-London 2012.
To experience the thrill of the action live in Manchester, view the full Grand Prix schedule and ticket information at www.taekwondogp.com.
Image courtesy of GB Taekwondo, with thanks.
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