The Indian National Taekwondo championship MO#377 took place on January 27th in Kanchipuram, South India. Unfortunately, our 2023 championship was missed.

The event had 142 participants, including 50 official black belts, engaging in individual Tuls and sparring. Six affiliated teams participated, and members from North India couldn't attend due to short notice and unavailability of travel tickets.

Kanchipuram district Mayor Miss M Mahalakshmi Yuvaraj inaugurated the championship at 10 AM, emphasizing the benefits of learning taekwondo, especially for girls. Vice President of ITFIC Mr. Parvendhan discussed ITFIC activities, future Taekwondo courses, and student benefits.

A minute of silence was observed for Senior Master Kothandaraman, the first ITF student and instructor in India, and founder of the Taekwondo Association of India (TAI), who passed away on 26/01/2024.

In the morning we started individual Tuls and by 1 pm we could start sparings in two courts. Medals and certificates were distributed after each weight category, with arrangements by Kanchipuram Instructor Sabum Dr. Senthamarai Kannan and his team. Appreciation was expressed for their hospitality and the delicious food served three times. The championship concluded at 7 pm with an ITFIC umpire group photo.

President Sabum PR Radhakrishnan thanked everyone and announced that the 2024 championship would be held in Bangalore in December. Special appreciation was given to ITF Vice President GM Trevor Nicholls for supporting the championship as an ITF sanctioned event.

Written by

Radhakrishnan