Paraguay
WT · Kukkiwon
El Taekwondo llegó a Paraguay a finales de la década de 1970, impulsado principalmente por la llegada de maestros coreanos que formaron parte de las oleadas de inmigración asiática al Cono Sur. Geográficamente enclavado entre Argentina y Brasil — dos de las potencias regionales del TKD —, Paraguay desarrolló su práctica con influencia directa de ambos vecinos y del modelo institucional promovido por la WTF en el continente. La Federación Paraguaya de Taekwondo (FPT) se constituyó durante la década de 1990 y logró su primera participación olímpica en Atenas 2004 con Rodrigo Blanco. Aunque el país no ha alcanzado podios olímpicos, mantiene una presencia activa en el circuito panamericano y fue sede de los Juegos Sudamericanos ODESUR 2022 en Asunción.
Pioneers
The origins: Korean instructors and the first dojangs
Korean immigration to the Southern Cone seeds TKD in Asunción
Taekwondo arrived in Paraguay in the late 1970s, brought by Korean instructors who had first settled in Argentina and Brazil. The first dojangs opened in Asunción, capitalising on the growing Korean immigrant community. The style, the hierarchy and the training methods were transplanted directly from Korea, and the Paraguayan students quickly adapted to the rigour of the discipline.
During the 1980s, the sport extended beyond Asunción to Ciudad del Este and Encarnación — border cities with intense commercial and cultural exchange with Brazil and Argentina respectively. This geographic corridor would become the backbone of Paraguayan TKD, consolidating a national base that would later support the federation structure.
Federation
Founding of the Paraguayan Taekwondo Federation
Affiliated with WTF and recognized by the Paraguayan Olympic Committee
The Federación Paraguaya de Taekwondo (FPT) was formally constituted and affiliated with the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), obtaining recognition from the Comité Olímpico Paraguayo (COP). This institutional framework was essential for accessing international competitions and structuring a competitive programme with national reach.
From Asunción, the FPT organised the first national championships and established a belt-grading system aligned with Kukkiwon standards. The federation also began sending athletes to Pan American and South American tournaments under the WT umbrella, laying the foundations for Paraguay's regional competitive presence.
Olympic
The first Olympic experience — Rodrigo Blanco at Athens 2004
Paraguay debuts in Olympic Taekwondo through Rodrigo Blanco
At the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Paraguay made its sole appearance in Olympic Taekwondo through Rodrigo Blanco. His participation marked a historic milestone for Paraguayan sport — accessing a discipline that had been part of the Olympic programme since Sydney 2000. Blanco's presence at the Games was the result of years of continental qualification work within the PATU circuit.
Subsequent Olympic cycles proved more challenging for the Paraguayan programme: the country did not qualify again for any of the following editions. The structural challenges of a programme with limited resources and reduced international visibility made it difficult to maintain the competitive level needed for Olympic qualification, though the FPT continued to develop its athletes with Los Angeles 2028 as a long-term target.
Regional
Paraguay hosts ODESUR 2022 — Taekwondo at home
Asunción and Lambaré organize the South American Games with TKD in the program
In 2022, Paraguay hosted the South American Games (ODESUR) in Asunción and the neighbouring city of Lambaré. The event brought together more than 4,000 athletes from 15 countries across 35 sports disciplines. Taekwondo was on the official programme, giving Paraguayan athletes the rare opportunity to compete as hosts at a multi-sport event of this scale in their own country.
Organising ODESUR 2022 represented a significant logistical achievement for Paraguay and gave the FPT unprecedented visibility at a national level. The Games helped consolidate the sports infrastructure in the capital and brought new audiences to Taekwondo — a strategic opportunity to attract young practitioners and strengthen the base of the Paraguayan programme.
Present
Current state and outlook
FPT active in PATU — poomsae growing — eyes on Los Angeles 2028
The Federación Paraguaya de Taekwondo (FPT) maintains its affiliation with World Taekwondo and participates actively in the Pan American Taekwondo Union (PATU) circuit. In recent years the poomsae modality has grown significantly within Paraguay, attracting practitioners of all ages and levels who find in the forms competition an accessible and structured path to the sport.
With Los Angeles 2028 as a mid-term objective, the FPT is working on identifying and developing young talent capable of reaching Olympic qualification. The challenge lies in sustaining a competitive programme with adequate funding while expanding the base of practitioners across the country — a balance that will define the trajectory of Paraguayan Taekwondo in the coming years.
Taekwondo en Paraguay
- ›Compitió en los Juegos Olímpicos de Atenas 2004
- ›Primera y única participación olímpica de Paraguay en Taekwondo WT
- ›Pionero del Taekwondo olímpico paraguayo
Sigue explorando
La historia del Taekwondo continúa en cada dojang, en cada clase, en cada estudiante.