Benny Rivera with Choi Hong Hi.
Benny Rivera ( - December 2013) was the first Latin-American to win an ITF-style World Taekwon-do Championship, in Oklahoma, USA in 1978. Rivera began his studiy of taekwondo in 1969 under Kong Young Il. Rivera went on to become Vice President of the International Taekwon-do Federation and President of ITF Puerto Rico. Rivera also held the position of president of the Pan American Taekwondo Council from 2007 to 2012. Rivera was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame in 2007.