Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA) is organising the first NTA Open Taekwondo Pumse League in Kathmandu on April 12. 

The event is being organised to prepare and identify talents and prepare Nepali players for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, said Bhand Bahadur Chand, the vice president of NTA and president of the organising committee. The League will have four categories—senior, junior, cadet and super cadet—and seven age groups. 

The players will vie for a total of 35 gold medals. The League will be organised every month and the top players in each category at the end of the year will be picked for the national championship. 

“Even if a player misses one championship, they will get a chance to compete in other events as it is an open competition,” said Bablu Shiwakoti, event coordinator. “We want to ensure that talented players do not miss out on the event.” The organisers are expecting the participation of around 300 players in the first month. (SB)