Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday inaugurated the 19th Governor’s Taekwondo Cup, Manipur 2026, at the Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium in Imphal, marking the start of a five-day championship featuring over 1,100 athletes from across the state.
Organised by the All Manipur Taekwondo Association (AMTA), the tournament will continue until July 15 and has brought together 1,141 participants, including 691 men and 450 women, representing 29 units.
Declaring the championship open, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh underscored the importance of taekwondo in building both physical fitness and moral values. A martial arts practitioner himself and the first Indian to receive a 5th Dan black belt in traditional taekwondo from Seoul’s Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF), he said the sport promotes discipline, respect and character alongside athletic excellence.
Reflecting on his long association with the sport, the Chief Minister recalled introducing the Governor’s Taekwondo Cup in 1980 during his tenure as president of AMTA.
He also highlighted Manipur’s achievements in taekwondo, noting that the association’s coaches and technical officials have played a key role in producing more than 40 international-level players. Encouraging young people to pursue sports alongside academics, he said the core values of taekwondo extend beyond competition and include mutual respect, discipline and friendship.
Youth Affairs and Sports as well as Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said many people may not know that the Chief Minister is a taekwondo black belt holder who has consistently supported the development of the sport in Manipur.
He added that under Khemchand Singh’s leadership, the state government has provided two sets of electronic scoring systems and body protectors worth around Rs 24 lakh to strengthen taekwondo infrastructure in the state.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by MLAs Heikham Dingo Singh and Sheikh Noorul Hassan, Youth Affairs and Sports Secretary Naorem Praveen Singh, Youth Affairs and Sports Director Dr Mayengbam Veto Singh, AMTA officials, coaches, players and other dignitaries.