Taekwondo World Opens in Central Mexico's City of Puebla

The 2013 World Taekwondo Championships began in Central Mexico’s city of Puebla this weekend. This year marks the 21st annual Championships for men’s events, and the 14th annual for women. Over 800 athletes from 134 countries and regions will be competing for seven days for an audience of over 5,000 locals.

The opening ceremony was held on Saturday, with a folk dance performance depicting the traditional Mexican legend of Popocatepetl – an active volcano in the Puebla region. Also, Puebla’s governor Rafael Moreno Valle and the World Taekwondo Federation’s president Choue Chung-won spoke and opened the biennial Championships, which are scheduled for July 15-21st. They expressed their hopes for the best championships in the Federation’s history and thanked Puebla’s local government for hosting the tournament.

"Dear athletes please train hard and compete fairly, to show the audience of Puebla, Mexico and the whole world how wonderful is taekwondo," Choue Chung-won said.

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Looking ahead at 2013 for Mexico

It’s going to be a very busy 2013 for El Tri at all levels. Here’s a quick look ahead to all that Mexico fans have to look forward to in the New Year.

World Cup qualifying
Given that many El Ti fans will regard qualifying for the 2014 World Cup as a foregone conclusion – as well they might, given that CONCACAF almost certainly will have four teams in Brazil – the importance of the year-long World Cup qualifying Hexagonal is diminished somewhat.

The fact remains, however, that Mexico hasn’t topped the qualifying consistently since the Hex began for the 1998 World Cup, also the last time that El Tri finished alone at the top of the CONCACAF table. That should be a goal for the Federation this year, as the best way to prove on the field that Mexico has truly become the undisputed king of the region.

In addition, El Tri can take aim at the record of 22 points from 10 games that Costa Rica achieved in the 2001 Hex. With a pretty weak regional field, that’s certainly a possibility for this Mexico team.

Confederations Cup
The most important event of the year for Mexico, the Confederations Cup is El Tri’s chance to show that it’s arrived on the international level. With a group that includes Italy, Japan and Brazil, just getting to a semifinal will be a challenge.

In rubbing elbows with the world’s best, El Tri can define its potential role in the 2014 World Cup. Mexico has done well in this competition in the past, and a title at the 2013 Confederations Cup would establish El Tri as a definite contender to win the World Cup next year in Brazil.

Gold Cup
The regional championship will be a secondary event for Chepo de la Torre’s side, but important nevertheless, as it will give some up and coming players a chance to show they belong in the discussion for the first team.

There’s no reason not to expect Mexico’s backups to challenge for a third straight title for El Tri at the Gold Cup, though Honduras and the U.S. are likely to provide firm challenges. Either way, there’s little to lose in this event for El Tri.

Continue reading about what's ahead for Mexico in 2013 and the upcoming Under-20 World Cup at Yahoo! Sports.com.

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Marquez Looms As Mexico’s Highest-Paid Fighter

Juan Manuel Marquez stands to become the highest-earning Mexican fighter in the event a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao takes place in 2013, a fact that should force Marquez to postpone his retirement party to a much later date.

Marquez’s stature received a major boost following his sixth-round knockout of Pacquiao last Dec. 8 and Fernando Beltran, Mexico’s premier promoter, said only a clash with the Filipino can bring him a paycheck no other Mexican, including the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., has received.

In the fourth fight with Pacquiao, the 39-year-old Marquez got $6 million plus a share in the pay-per-view.

Pacquiao was guaranteed $23 million and also a slice in the PPV.

Chavez, in contrast, received his biggest purse – said to be $9.1 million – when he faced Oscar De La Hoya in June 1996.

Although Arum hasn’t formally reached out to the camps of Pacquiao and Marquez about the staging of a fifth fight, saying he will only do so after the holidays, reports have started to swirl that the massive Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, which can seat more than 80,000, is the frontrunner to host it.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena can only accommodate 17,000 for a big fight.

Still, Arum said Pacquiao has to get clearance from US doctors first before he can be allowed to return to the ring owing to the devastating knockout that he suffered at the hands of Marquez.

Arum wants Pacquiao, 34, to undergo a battery of tests that will be done at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, a brain center in Las Vegas.

A September date is being targeted as Pacquiao’s comeback bout because he is being advised to take a lengthy rest since he is not allowed by the Nevada Athletic Commission to fight in the next four months.

The Nevada commission also prevents Pacquiao from engaging in sparring sessions in the next three months.

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Carlos Slim Domit Enters Hall of Fame

Celebrated for his efforts in promoting and building the sport, Carlos Slim became part of the Hall of Fame of the Mexican Motorsport Federation (FEMADAC). When asked about the future of Formula One in Mexico, Slim reiterated that in order for Mexico to enter the F1 calendar, they must present a suitable project first. Some are hopeful Mexico will be able to get on the F1 race schedule in 2013. 

"There are many variables. It’s a big project; it has to be a national project, having a promoter that can coordinate the pieces around. Hopefully in the future we can have a Grand Prix back to Mexico," said Slim. 

Slim also participated in the unveiling of the Wall of the Carrera Panamericana in the events where he was the main protagonist and pilots Guillermo Rojas and the brand new World Rally Champion Benito Guerra attended the event as well. 

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F1 Driver Checo Perez Chats with MexicoToday, Talks Future with McLaren

Sergio Pérez also known as "Checo," is a Mexican formula One racing driver. Pérez, who currently resides in Schindellegi, Switzerland, was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy until 2012. He also took his first Formula One podium at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Sergio “Checo” Perez recently concluded his second season in Formula 1, for which he was named one of the top ten drivers of the 2012 campaign. The end of the season marks a significant transition for the 22-year-old driver. After two years with Sauber, Checo will now take his talents to the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racing team, signing a multi-year deal to race alongside 2009 world champion Jenson Button. Said Perez, “I'm under no illusion that it is indeed a very big step – as it would be for any driver – but I'm ready for it.”

Checo has a great 2012 and many were uncertain if the driver woud make the move. However, when MexicoToday asked Checo to asses his recent season he said, "I have had ups and downs, but I went up to the podium. I'm only 22 years old, I'm progressing from race to race, and now it is impossible to evaluate my potential. My goal for [2013] is to compete for the title. I am very happy that I had such a chance this year."

On 28 September 2012, Lewis Hamilton's decision to leave McLaren for Mercedes in 2013 was announced, and Pérez was subsequently confirmed as Hamilton's replacement. Interestingly, Checo will also replace Lewis in McLaren's cartoon "Tooned."

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