Study On Legal Issues Of World Taekwondo Federation

World Taekwondo Federation (the "WTF") is the most influential international competitive taekwondo organization, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole governing authority of taekwondo at the Olympic Games. After decades of development, WTF has set up a complete set of rules and regulations, including Statutes, Competition Rules, Rules on Organization and Operation of International Taekwondo Championships, Standing Procedures for Taekwondo Competition at Olympic Games, Anti-Doping Rules, etc.. The rules and regulations of international sports organization are within the scope of sports law research, it is of important theoretical and practical significance to study the rules and regulations of WTF.WTF Statutes is the fundamental legal document of modern competitive taekwondo sports. It specifies that the legal character of WTF is an international non-governmental not-for-profit organization chartered in Korea; it adopts the principle of universalism in the aspect of membership; the organization consists of General Assembly, Council, President and Secretariat, etc. and the five Continental Unions and thirteen standing Committees; English is the operating language in conference; one country a ballot majority voting system is adopted in discussing official business; all rights to all WTF intellectual properties, as well as all media rights concerning WTF events, are the exclusive property of the WTF. Therefore, WTF standardizes the operation of its internal various mechanisms, every organization fully perform their functions, and thus providing competitive taekwondo sports with effective international management.Rules on Organization and Operation of International Taekwondo Championships is the basic document for WTF organizing its championships. It standardizes the organization and management of various championships, which shows the absolute decision-making authority of WTF. The name of championship, the selection of host city, the qualification of international referee and that of international coach are to be decided and sanctioned by WTF. Organizers of the events also have certain autonomy, which are mainly responsible for the specific affairs. Standing Procedures for Taekwondo Competition at Olympic Games links up the Olympic Games with international taekwondo championships from the respect of system. WTF can manage fairly and equitably all related affairs of taekwondo event in the Olympic Games in accordance with the provisions.WTF enacts Anti-Doping Rules according to the World Anti-Doping Code made by World Anti-Doping Agency, which shall apply to all Doping Controls over which WTF and its Member National Associations have jurisdiction. International Olympic Committee has absolute authority in the aspect of anti-doping. The two documents are unanimous on matters of principle, but are different in specific details. When dispute arises from applying the rules, WTF will be subject to the decision of WADA.WTF establishes its internal disciplinary sanction system and sport dispute resolution system. Their specific operation procedures can be explored and obtained from the analysis of such cases as "Yang Shujun" violating competition rules, Chen Zhong’s being amended a judgment after the competition, and Karine Sergerie v. WTF Taekwondo Association of Canada, and the defects of the procedures can also be found, which ought to be further modified and improved.In a word, the study on WTF rules and regulations and its related legal issues is helpful to know the development and perfection of International Sports Federations’ basic framework, to expand the scope of sports law research, and to perfect the fundamental theory system of sports law, which may lay a certain theory foundation for the in-depth research of the competitive taekwondo organization.