GUWAHATI: A BJP legislator from Manipur has brought distinction to the state and the country by excelling in an unlikely field for a politician — taekwondo.
Yumnam Khemchand Singh (62), a former minister, has been awarded a fifth-dan black belt by the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF), Seoul, South Korea. He is the first Indian to receive a fifth-dan black belt in the traditional taekwondo martial art style conferred by the GTTF.
The certificate was issued by a panel of six taekwondo grand masters, led by Jun Lee, president of the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation. The GTTF is the apex body governing traditional Korean taekwondo, while the World Taekwondo Federation oversees the sport’s competitive form.
Mayong Suk, vice president of the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation, felicitated Singh at the federation’s office in Seoul on Tuesday.
Singh earned the fifth-dan rank after clearing a taekwondo promotion test conducted in October last year. He was unable to travel to Seoul earlier to receive the certificate due to the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.
The Sangrok World Taekwondo Academy, which functions under the World Taekwondo Federation, also hailed Singh for his dedication and long-standing contribution to the promotion of taekwondo.
Singh began training in taekwondo at the age of 16. He is the founder president of the All Assam Taekwondo Association and is regarded as one of the pioneers of the martial art in Manipur.
In the early 1980s, he emerged as a key figure in popularising taekwondo in India and played an important role in the formation of the Taekwondo Federation of India (TFI), where he later served as vice president.
Beyond sports, Singh has also been making efforts towards the restoration of peace in Manipur. Recently, the Meitei MLA visited two Kuki-Zo villages in the Naga-majority Ukhrul and Kamjong districts and interacted with local residents. This marked the first instance since the outbreak of ethnic violence that a political leader initiated direct people-to-people engagement across community lines.