ITF President Paul Weiler, left, paid tribute to his predecessor Pablo Trajtenberg ©ITF

The International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) has held its first in-person international instructors course (IIC) in South America since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the event in the Argentinian city of Pilar attended by more than 800 participants.

The attendance figure made it the second largest instruction course in the ITF's history, with individuals from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru among those who took part.

The course was conducted by the ITF Instruction and Technical Committee, with chair Héctor Marano, Ung Kim Lan, Pierre Laquerre, Paul McPhail and Jurek Jedut all travelling to Pilar.

All aspects of ITF taekwon-do are covered under the IIC.

Three other courses ran in Pilar - the international adapted course for students with special needs taught by Inclusion Committee chairman Leonardo Oros Duek, the international harmony course for students of senior age taught by Harmony Committee chair Leonardo Oros Duek, and the international kids course for younger students taught by Fabián Izquierdo.

More than 800 instructors participated at the international instructors course in Pilar ©ITF
More than 800 instructors participated at the international instructors course in Pilar ©ITF

ITF President Paul Weiler praised the Organising Committee and participants.

He also paid tribute to his predecessor as President Pablo Trajtenberg, the Argentinian official who led the ITF from 2010 to 2019 and died in April of this year.

The ITF is separate from World Taekwondo, the Olympic governing body for the sport.

Two organisations known as the International Taekwon-Do Federation are signatories of the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, although neither are recognised by either the International Olympic Committee or the Global Association of International Sports Federations.