Taekwondo Premier League to start in India, to change face of sport

According to the organisers, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, Bangalore, Dehradun, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Chennai, and Gujarat have already expressed interest in participating in the franchise-model league that would be staged in Delhi in June 2023.

During the launch, Taekwondo Grandmasters Jun Lee and Moon Dae Sung, a World, Olympic, and Asian Champion, addressed a full crowd that included 400 players and praised the TPL as a trailblazer.

"There are 10 lakh registered players in the country, making it one of the more popular sports in India. The top players will get the opportunity to hone their skills at the highest level and I am sure India will soon see an Olympic medal winner," Moon Dae Sung said.

Almost 20 million competitors participate in the Olympic sport of taekwondo, a kick-and-punch-based martial art with South Korean roots that is practised in over 200 nations.

"This is the start of a new chapter, a new era actually, in taekwondo. We have been working on this for the last two years and are delighted to see so many entrepreneurs and business houses interested in backing the sport," Ganesh Duvvuri, GK Venkat and Navneeta, Founder Directors, said.

The players will be chosen via selection trials to be held in 12 locations by an international panel headed by Grandmaster Jun Lee, the TPL Commissioner, Master Kim Chang Kwon, the Chief TPL Coach, and Moon Dae Sung. Each team's coaches and mentors have already been chosen.

"The TPL will be played out for the first time in a team format, with each team boasting five top players. We have also restricted ourselves to the 58.1kg-67.9kg category to keep the competition fast and thrilling," Mr Ganesh, the Founder Director, said.

"Apart from providing a world-class platform, the selected players will get the best coaching and training. Attractive prize money will be on offer along with individual awards all through the League," GK Venkat added.

Franchise owners Sristi Rana of the Haryana Hunters, A Venkat Reddy Raja of the Hyderabad Gliders, Vijay Kumar Bhansali of the Gujarat Thunders, Ruchita Mittal of the Maharashtra Avengers, Dr. R. K. Gupta of the Delhi Warriors, and TL Rao and Mohd. Raees were present at the inaugural event (Rajasthan Rebels).