The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has decided to take on a new acronym and unofficial name for marketing purposes.
The rebranding is to distance the sport from the social media shorthand of the vulgar slang synonymous to “what the hell.”
Hoss Rafaty, who was named secretary general of the federation earlier this year, said the world body will retain the rights to the name, but will use “World Taekwondo” as its unofficial name, and “WT” as its acronym. The move falls in line with the body’s five-point development road map.
The issue surfaced at an extraordinary council meeting in Mexico City on Dec. 7. The body also decided to rename the World Taekwondo Grand Prix and the World Taekwondo World Championships.