Manipur CM Khemchand conferred taekwondo Grand Master 9th Dan

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh was conferred the title of Grand Master 9th Dan by the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF) on Wednesday, October 21.

GTTF president Grand Master Jun Lee presented the title at the opening of the 1st Manipur State Poomsae Taekwondo Championship 2026 at Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium in Imphal, The New Indian Express reported. The Chief Minister also gave a demonstration of his martial arts skills at the event.

'Still a taekwondo man'

Lee said Singh was one of India's outstanding taekwondo players in the early 1980s, a multiple national champion and one of the pioneers of the sport in India. Many people know him as a politician, Lee said, but long before that he was a taekwondo champion, and he remains a taekwondo man.

His taekwondo career

Singh began training at 16. He is the founder president of the All Assam Taekwondo Association, and in the early 1980s became a key figure in popularising the sport in India. He played an important role in forming the Taekwondo Federation of India, where he served as vice-president.

What he said

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the championship would help take local taekwondo players to the international level, and expressed confidence that it would contribute to the sport's growth.

Cultural showcase

The programme included a demonstration of Thang-Ta, Manipur's traditional martial art, by the Huyen Lallong Manipur Thang-Ta Cultural Association, and a performance by students of Shinhan University in South Korea.

The 31-member GTTF delegation, visiting Manipur from October 19 to 24, includes three-time Olympic medallist Hwang Kyung-seon.

What is Poomsae

Poomsae is the forms discipline of taekwondo, in which athletes perform set sequences of movements and are judged on technique and presentation, rather than sparring with an opponent.

Championship result

The championship concluded later in the week, with UTA crowned overall team champions of the first Manipur State Poomsae Taekwondo Championship, according to E-Pao.

Why it matters

The visit of an international federation's delegation, including an Olympic medallist, alongside a state-level Poomsae championship gives local athletes direct exposure to higher-level coaching and competition.