Dehradun (The Hawk): The 13th National Taekwondo Championship, organized by the Uttarakhand Sports Taekwondo Association, commenced at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Raipur, today.
The two-day-long championship was inaugurated in the presence of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, Sports Minister Rekha Arya, President UKSTA, Raunak Jain, Chairman & Chief Patron UKSTA Dr. S Farooq, Organising & General Secretary UKSTA Javed Khan, and Korean Grandmaster Kim.
Addressing the participants, Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri said, “It is commendable efforts by UKSTA for organizing such a splendid program in Uttarakhand. It is a great platform for the talented youth of our state to showcase their skills. Playing any kind of sport is necessary as it ensures our good physical and mental health and enhances the quality of life.”
This was followed by the release of ‘Rising Era Volume – V’ by the Chief Guest and other guests present on the occasion.
Addressing the audience, Rekha Arya said, “Taekwondo in itself teaches us numerous self-defense techniques. It is a wonderful sport not just for boys but for girls as well. I am really happy to see participants as young as three years old here today. I wish all the participants the very best of luck and want them to achieve unprecedented success in life and represent Uttarakhand and India one day at the Olympic Games.“
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. S Farooq said, “Taekwondo is a game which integrates mind and body. It is one of the best activities one can learn for their self-defense. I want all the participants here today to demonstrate their skills considering it a sports activity and not to harm anyone intentionally, and wish them luck.”
The Taekwondo Championship is being organized in all weight categories, including Senior, Junior, Sub-Junior, and cadets.
Over 15 states, including Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Orissa, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Nagaland, Rajasthan, and Sikkim, are participating in this two-day-long championship.
The occasion was also graced by the Treasurer, Hina Habib, Joint Secretary Raza Hussain, and Mohd Umar, among others.