Williamnagar, Aug 21: The 2nd East Garo Hills Open Kyorugi Taekwondo Championship 2026 got underway at the Indoor Sports Hall in Williamnagar on Friday, with around 60 young athletes taking part in the two-day event.
Organised by the East Garo Hills Taekwondo Association in collaboration with the District Sports Office, Williamnagar, the championship features Sub-Junior, Cadet, Junior and Senior categories for both boys and girls, which would conclude on Saturday.
The Kyorugi events are being conducted on a single-elimination knockout basis, with participants representing five schools and several taekwondo clubs from across Williamnagar.
Among the participating institutions are Educere School, Williamnagar, Holy Family School, Rongjeng, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Williamnagar.
East Garo Hills Taekwondo Association president Osmond Sangma said participation from the Williamnagar area was comparatively lower this year, largely because a number of students had left the district to pursue higher studies.
Sangma said the championship was aimed at encouraging more young people to take up taekwondo while providing emerging athletes with an opportunity to compete and demonstrate their skills.
He added that promising performers would be identified for further training and given opportunities to represent East Garo Hills at the state and national levels.
While the opening day is dedicated to Kyorugi competition for participants from East Garo Hills, the second day will feature a Poomsae Taekwondo Championship open to participants from across the Garo Hills.
According to Sangma, the Poomsae event is being organised for the first time at the Garo Hills level in East Garo Hills, marking an important step towards expanding the discipline and creating more competitive opportunities for athletes across the region.
