DUSHANBE, November 17, Asia-Plus -- A team of Tajik taekwon-do fighters (International Taekwon-Do Federation or ITF) finished second in the 3 ^rd Asian Championships that was held in New Delhi, India, from November 9 to November 14.  

Athletes from 13 countries across the Asian continent took part in the championships in India.  Six Tajik athletes won six golden, two silver and two bronze medals.  

A source at Tajikistan’s Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) said that the Tajik team would had  finished first if our female team had also participated in the competitions.  “Unfortunately, for shortage of funds sportswomen could not participate in the 3 ^rd Asian Championships in India,” the source said.  

The International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) was founded in 1966 by Major-General Choi Hong Hi six years before his exile from South Korea in 1972.  The ITF is basically an extention of the Oh Do Kwan of the late 1960''s.  His first visit of good will to North Korea was in 1980, when he introduced Taekwon-Do there.  Being a private Canadian Business Corporation for most of it''s existance, it has claimed it is one of the two major international Taekwon-Do organizations, the other being the public Olympic International Federation called World Taekwondo Federation or WTF.