By Paul Osborne

The WTF has named six cities to host eight World Taekwondo GP Series events over 2014 and 2015 ©WTFMarch 19 - Host cities for the 2014 and 2015 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series have been announced.

Following the success of the inaugural Grand Prix event in Manchester last year, six cities have now been confirmed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) as the hosts for eight events set to take place over the next two years, with three Series events and one final scheduled for each year.

Suzhou, China will take the mantle for the first Grand Prix Series event of 2014, with action set to get underway in July.

This will be followed by events in Astana, Kazakhstan, in August and Manchester, Great Britain, in October before the Series final in Querétaro, Mexico, in December.

The Grand Prix Series in 2015 will see events hosted in Suzhou, Manchester and an undetermined city in Russia, with the final set for Mexico City.

Speaking after the announcement aftert a Council Meeting in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, WTF President Chungwon Choue said: "We are extremely excited about the World Taekwondo GP events over the next two years.

"The inaugural World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Manchester last year was a great success and served to highlight the passion and enthusiasm that exists amongst fans to see regular Olympic-standard competition between the world's best athletes.

"Now it is time to build on that success and ensure that we offer athletes and fans the very best possible experience.

"We have four excellent host cities this year and I have no doubt that their state-of-the art arenas and passionate spectators will provide an electric atmosphere for world-class competition."

The inaugural Grand Prix event last December saw 231 athletes from 59 countries compete in Manchester's Central Convention Complex ©Getty ImagesThe inaugural Grand Prix event last December saw 231 athletes from 59 countries compete in Manchester's Central Convention Complex ©Getty Images



The World Taekwondo Grand Prix is the WTF's latest initiative in its evolution of the sport, with the hope of promoting taekwondo across the globe and inspiring a new generation of young athletes.

The inaugural event in Manchester last December attracted more than 200 athletes from 59 countries and saw the action broadcast to an international audience in almost 100 countries.

"The World Taekwondo Grand Prix will help realise taekwondo's huge untapped commercial potential," said WTF secretary general Jean-Marie Ayer.

"We wanted to create a high-profile event which would attract sponsors by bringing together elite athletes and offering a true sporting spectacle both for the audience watching in the arena and those watching on TV at home.

"The inaugural event in Manchester showed the potential that exists in taekwondo.

"Using the latest cutting-edge technology we offered greater sponsor exposure and a more exciting competition for broadcast.

"Now that we have selected the host cities for the future events we want to work closely with them to make sure we maximise the commercial opportunities available."

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