Para taekwondo squad heads to UK to train before Paralympics

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 25: Palesha Goverdhan and Bharat Singh Mahata have left for Manchester, United Kingdom, on Wednesday with coach Kabiraj Negi Lama to train further for the upcoming Paralympics in Paris (August 28 to September 8). 

Posting a selfie of the trio from the Tribhuvan International Airport, coach Lama, on his Facebook, wrote, “Traveling to Manchester, UK for a training camp. Targeting the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, France...”

Goverdhan and Mahata are competing in the -57kg and -58kg categories (K-44). While Mahata is scheduled to play his first match on August 29, Goverdhan’s on August 30.

Coach Lama has been posting several photos and videos of training the duo with captions stating that the team plans for a gold in the world stage. 

The duo will be training at Great Britain Taekwondo Association Training Centre in Manchester under the Paralympic Preparation Camp from July 25 to August 23, officials informed.

Aiming for the gold, the paralympic taekwondo team is expected to get closer to the dream by training under better facilities in the UK.

Goverdhan booked her journey to Paris after winning a gold in the Asian Qualifiers held in Taiyang, China, by defeating Iran's Lella Mirzai in Taekwondo women's 57 kg, K-44 category, in the final.

She was also the first Nepali to win a historic bronze medal in the 4th Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China, in 2022.  

The two taekwondo practitioners, coach Lama and team manager Ram Chandra Shrestha have been wished well for the tournament by concerned stakeholders.

Minister for Youth and Sports Teju Lal Chaudhary bade the squad farewell at the Ministry on Tuesday stating, “I wish that the athletes play with high confidence in the tournament.”

The team also received wishes from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal on Tuesday. Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal, Tae-Young Park, motivated the athletes to give their best.