Sanjiv Nepali: A Taekwondo Athlete With Global Fame

Sanjiv Nepali has carved out a reputation as a top-notch taekwondo player, thanks to his hard work, discipline, and determination. Nepali is widely known as one of the most gifted Nepali taekwondo players in the world. He has obtained the 5th Degree Black Belt certified by the World Taekwondo Headquarters (Kukkiwon) in South Korea. Besides, he is popularly known as an international master coach, a licensed Poom/Dan examiner and a recognised Hamadang and national referee. His athletic journey, however, began around three decades ago in the remote area of the Tarai region in Nepal. 

Born on August 17, 1986, in a small town of Nijdadh in Bara district, Nepal, officially began his career as a Taekwondo player in 1998. Born and raised in a marginalised community, he faced hurdles and challenges in his early days. In his school days, Sanjiv was thin and taller. So, one of his uncles, who was also a taekwondo player, encouraged him to pursue his career in taekwondo, forecasting his bright future in the very field. Upon his uncle’s motivation, he started playing taekwondo from his childhood days. His father, Bhabanath Nepali, and mother, Manju Nepali, always inspired him to pursue his career as a professional taekwondo athlete and study simultaneously. 

Training 

He first wore Dobak, a taekwondo dress, when he was in Class 7. With the unexpected energy and enthusiasm, he reached Nijgadh Dojang, a taekwondo training centre near his house, to get extensive training. He used to spend most of his time learning new knowledge and skills at the Dojang. He learnt fresh skills and practiced taekwondo under the guidance of his coaches Krishnamurari Khadka and Chitra Bahadur Lama. 

He came to Kathmandu, the capital city, for higher education after finishing his Plus Two from Gaurishankar Higher Secondary School, Nijgadh. Even during his higher education in Kathmandu, he did not cease playing taekwondo. In the capital, he joined a training session at Jawalakhel taekwondo Dojang in Lalitpur. One of his inspiring habits is that he used to share the knowledge and skills with students from different schools that he learnt during his taekwondo training. Thus, he trained scores of students from different schools in Kathmandu. 

In Kathmandu, Sanjiv participated in several competitions at inter-dojang, inter-district, valley-wide, zonal and national levels. He won various medals in many and lost a few. He was never disappointed while losing games, considering defeat and victory as an integral part of life.

After Sanjiv traveled to Macau in 2012 to advance his sports career at an international level, he continued his sports career as well as trained a lot of young players there. He also participated in various trainings and seminars. This gave him an immense opportunity to improve his sports skills. During his stay in Macau, Sanjiv visited other countries as well. He also hoisted the Nepalese flag there. Fourth Dan Black Belt Sanjiv competed in various competitions organised in Macau and also played the role of coach and referee. 

He played games in Hong Kong, Thailand, England, Spain, Japan, Canada, and the United States. He won a gold medal at the British Autumn Open Championship held in Manchester, England, in November 2019. Similarly, he won a silver medal at the 16th Hong Kong Nepalese Taekwondo Association Championship in 2018 and a bronze medal at the 20th International Taekwondo Championship held in Barcelona, ​​Spain in 2019. Similarly, he won gold at the 22nd Asian Cities Taekwondo Championship in Hong Kong.

 Also, the fourth dan of taekwondo, Sanjiv has also won various medals in online and virtual competitions. He has continuously taken part in various virtual competitions, especially after the coronavirus caused panic around the world. Sanjiv was successful in winning prizes and medals in online championships organised by countries such as the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Similarly, he has also completed the Master's Course held in Muju, South Korea on July 22, 2018. He manifested his skills by taking part in the US Open in Las Vegas in 2019, the Canada Open in September 2018, and the G Rank International Coach Seminar in September 2018.

Honours

He was honored by the Non-Resident Nepali Association, Macau, in appreciation of his contribution. Similarly, Madhesh Province, New Jawalakhel Taekwondo Dojang, and Nijgadh Municipality have also awarded him. Sanjiv was also honoured by the National Sports Council and Tarakeshwor Municipality. 

In recent years, he has extended his leadership roles, serving as Official Referee Coordinator for key U.S. tournaments. He had a lead role in the referee team at the 1st Harrisburg Open Taekwondo Championship on August 23, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and again at the 1st Sunshine Open Taekwondo Championship on November 1, 2025, in Akron, Ohio. Beyond these coordinating roles, Sanjiv has been involved in judging and refereeing major events such as the U.S. Master Cup in Houston (January 13, 2024), the AAU New York Metropolitan District National Qualifier (March 24, 2024), and the Kukkiwon Cup USA in New Jersey (June 1, 2024). 

Taekwondo master Sanjiv has earned a reputation for fairness, discipline, hard work and professionalism. His long-standing dedication has established him as a trusted official in taekwondo circles worldwide, contributing not only to competition integrity but also to the development of the sport’s next generation.

(Yadav is a journalist at this daily.)