The decision was taken at World Taekwondo’s Extraordinary Council meeting, which was held at the Hotel Novotel Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

Wuxi was represented at the meeting by vice-mayor Liu Xia.

The city is investing heavily in the sport and is the host and sponsor of the World Taekwondo Grand Slam Champions Series, inaugurated in 2017.

"I am happy and excited," said Liu.

"We will do our best for preparing those big events."

The Council meeting started with a moment of silence for late World Taekwondo vice-president and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Nat Indrapana, who passed away this year.

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue then thanked the host city, Fujairah, for its support before making reference to the fact that 2018 is the 45^th anniversary of the governing body.

A short video marking the anniversary was shown.

World Taekwondo officials and the World Taekwondo demonstration team were invited to North Korea's capital Pyongyang earlier this year and discussions took place at the time on future integration between World Taekwondo and the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF).

Next year, the 25^th anniversary of taekwondo becoming an official Olympic sport, there are plans for World Taekwondo and the ITF to carry out joint demonstrations in Europe, Choue said.

Choue also declared that in light of certain incidents around the world, and in line with recent IOC communications to all International Federations (IFs), World Taekwondo will henceforth tolerate no discrimination against any Member National Association (MNA) by another MNA or host country that impacts athlete participation on the basis of politics, religion or other reasons. 

"I urge the Council to collectively take the strongest stance against these unfortunate incidents and not award a sport event to a country that does not permit any athletes to enter the country due to political reasons," he said. 

"A motion was passed by the Council to this effect."

In other business, Giovanni di Cola, head of the World Taekwondo Sustainability Committee, noted how frameworks have been adopted, aligned with IOC goals, and that World Taekwondo peace work, social integration and gender practices are excellent benchmarks.

There was also a briefing on World Taekwondo strategic objectives.

These include raising brand value and visibility, extending outreach via esports and upgrading sport presentation.

On World Taekwondo’s Safe Sport initiative, Athletes Committee chair Nadine Dawani briefed on how IOC toolkits to safeguard athletes can be accessed.

Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) executive director Roger Piarulli reported that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with United World Wrestling, and that talks are ongoing with the IFs of badminton, table tennis and handball to include those sports at the THF facility in the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan.

This will mean the facility will become a taekwondo-led multi-sports facility.

A new THF project has also been launched in Niger, with the country’s National Olympic Committee, for six months.

Piarulli urged taekwondo groups globally to carry out fundraising initiatives for the THF and gave recent examples from Malaysia and South Korea.

The next Council meeting is due to take place in Manchester in May 2019.