Kukkiwon Cup, a tournament held under the World Taekwondo, the official governing body of global taekwondo, is being organised for the first time in Nepal. Kukkiwon refers to the World Taekwondo Headquarters and home of the World Taekwondo Academy in South Korea.

The event will take place across three days (April 17 to 19) at the Taekwondo Academy Hall in ANFA Complex, Satdobato, according to the Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA).

“Kukkiwon Cup has been organised across different countries. It is a prestigious tournament that has now started in Nepal,” said Samrajya Bikram Pandey, spokesperson for the NTA.

Making public the event at a press conference in Kathmandu on Tuesday, NTA informed that taekwondoins from across the country will be competing for 98 gold medals.

“The championship will see competitions across Breaking, Authorised Poomsae, Aerobics and Team Kyorugi (fight) categories,” said Bhan Bahadur Chand, vice-president at NTA. Chand is also leading an 11-member organisation committee for the championship.

Taekwondoins aged under-12 up to 59 years can participate in the championship in their respective age categories. “Registrations are open,” Chand said. “The expected budget for the championship is around Rs2.1 million.”

Likewise, World Taekwondo will be the joint organiser of the championship, with the governing body providing the medals. “The event will follow all the rules and standards of World Taekwondo,” read a statement by NTA.

Senior officials at NTA also informed that wins in the Kukkiwon Cup in Nepal could open doors to bigger foreign tournaments for Nepali taekwondoins. Thus, prominent Nepali taekwondo practitioners are expected to participate in the event.