Imphal: For the first time in Manipur, 91 young taekwondo athletes under the age of 7 categorized under the ‘Pee Wee’ group drew the attention of the crowd during the inaugural ceremony of the 18th Governor’s Taekwondo Cup, Manipur, 2025.
The opening ceremony was held on Thursday at the Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium in Imphal and was organised by the All Manipur Taekwondo Association (AMTA).
A total of 893 athletes, including 562 male and 331 female participants, are competing in the tournament. Among them, 54 boys and 37 girls are competing in the newly introduced ‘Pee Wee’ category across various weight divisions.
The tournament will continue for the next three days, concluding on July 20.
Athletes in the senior, junior, cadet, and sub-junior categories both male and female will compete in different weight categories during the event.
An official from AMTA, speaking to reporters said, “The ‘Pee Wee’ category has been introduced for the first time this year, and we are glad to see such enthusiastic participation. It’s commendable, and we hope to see even more participants next season. This level of engagement is a positive sign, especially in encouraging children to be active beyond mobile screen addiction.”
In the Pee Wee boys’ category, several athletes secured gold medals across various weight classes Garrick Heiyalu Ngangom of Brave Taekwondo Academy (U-32 kg), Donal Tongbram of KTA Academy (U-24 kg), Korou Laikangbam of HATA Academy (U-26 kg), Pheiroijam Neron Singh of UTA Academy (U-29 kg), Taibangnganba Hijam of LFC Academy (U-35 kg), and Gia N of UTA Academy (U-22 kg), among others.
The inaugural bouts were launched by MLA Kongkham Robindro and MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan, who attended as Chief Guest and President respectively. MLA Lourambam Rameshwor Meitei also graced the occasion as Guest of Honour.
