Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a former national taekwondo champion, was conferred the Grand Master 9th Dan title by the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF) on October 21 at the inaugural ceremony of the 1st Manipur State Poomsae Taekwondo Championship 2026 in Imphal.
GTTF president Grand Master Jun Lee presented the honour to the chief minister at the Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium, where Singh also demonstrated his martial arts skills and reflexes, according to a press release issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Addressing the gathering, Singh said the championship, organised with the participation of a team led by Lee from South Korea — the country where taekwondo originated — would help Manipur’s taekwondo practitioners gain greater international exposure. He expressed hope that the Poomsae event would promote the sport and contribute to its further growth in the state.
Lee praised Singh as one of India’s prominent taekwondo practitioners in the early 1980s, noting that he had won the national championship multiple times and was among the pioneers of the martial art in India.
“Many know him as a leader, but long before he entered politics, he was a Taekwondo Champion, and he is still a taekwondo man,” Lee said.
Manipur Home, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the state possessed abundant sporting talent across disciplines and described the championship as a foundation for building a stronger and more inclusive taekwondo movement. He called for promoting a sporting culture based on discipline, equal opportunities and recognition of talent and determination among young people, and urged the youth to reject violence and contribute to building a peaceful society through sports.
The programme also featured a demonstration of Thang-Ta, Manipur’s traditional martial art, by the Huyen Lallong Manipur Thang-Ta Cultural Association, while students from South Korea’s Shinhan University delivered a performance.
A 31-member GTTF delegation is visiting Manipur from October 19 to 24. The delegation includes Hwang Kyung-Seon, a three-time Olympic medallist.
The ceremony was attended by MLAs, senior administrative officers, officials of the Youth Affairs and Sports Department, coaches, students and parents.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/video/manipur-cm-yumnam-khemchand-singh-conferred-grand-master-9th-dan-in-taekwondo-1465675-2026-10-21?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-10-21 19:21:00
