Nat well beaten in WTF presidential election

TAEKWONDO

South Korea's Choue Chung-Won was re-elected as president of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) beating Thailand's Nat Indrapana by a big margin.

Nat Indrapana’s website campaign on running for the post of World Taekwondo Federation presidency before he was well defeated by South Korea’s Choue Chung-Won.

Choue comfortably beat Nat, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), 104-54 in a vote ahead of the World Taekwondo Championships in Copenhagen on Tuesday. One person abstained.

The 61-year-old Korean will be in office for another four years in his third term as WTF chief. He took over WTF presidency in 2004 after compatriot Kim Un-yong was forced to step down for corruption.

Tuesday's vote was held amid allegations of vote buying and slander, The Associated Press reported.

Four candidates were originally running for the post to head the international governing body of the Korean martial art.

However, European Taekwondo Federation president Athanasios Pragalos and WTF vice president Park Soo-nam pulled out.

Pragalos has made allegations of vote buying but failed to make it clear who was attempting to buy votes. Pragalos and Park openly backed Nat, with Park saying the Thai as an IOC member could reconcile the world taekwondo body with the Olympic movement, according to the news agency.

Taekwondo Association of Thailand president Pimol Srivikorn said it was disappointing that Nat, a WTF vice president, lost by a huge margin.

"A lot of voters changed their mind after learning that the Korean was going to win," said Pimol.

"I am sure that Nat's policy was better."

Pimol said Choue was more powerful financially than Nat. He did not elaborate.

Asked if Nat's defeat would shatter Thailand's hopes of winning its first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo at the 2012 London Games, Pimol said athletes' ability is more important now that they have to wear electronic gear.

The electronic equipment will translate good kicks into points like in fencing.

"It will be more difficult to cheat," Pimol said.

The TAT president said he was unsure whether Choue would be able to help the sport make progress and avoid being voted out of the Olympics.

TAT senior official Preecha Tortrakul said that Choue had been well prepared for the vote with support from the Korean government.