Second leg of Taekwondo Premier League Season 1 to be held from December 5 to 7

The second leg of the highly popular Taekwondo Premier League Season 1 will be held from December 5 to December 7, 2023 Mumbai. The organisers announced this on the occasion of International Taekwondo Day (September 4), revealing that this one will be a mix of foreign and Indian stars.

For the first time in the history of the sport, the teams will also have men and women in the mix, making for an even more exciting format.

“The second leg of TPL-1 will see competition among players in the weight category of 55.1 to 60.9 kgs for men and 48.1 to 53.9 kgs for women,” Mr Duvvuri Ganesh, Founder-Director of the Taekwondo Premier League, declared. “The first leg, which was in the 58.1 to 67.9kg weight class, was a huge success, encouraging us to add this chapter to the League,” he added.

Organised by Ineil Sports Pvt Ltd, JR International Taekwondo Academy, Pro Taekwondo Corporation, GKPR Media House and Black Belt World USA, the Mumbai leg will have 12 teams in the fray, with several celebrities and well-known businessmen stepping in as owners.

Among them are former Miss India and Miss Asia-Pacific Sristi Rana (Haryana Hunters), popular diamond businesswoman Ruchita Mittal (Maharashtra Avengers), hospitality entrepreneur Shilpa Patel (Bengaluru Ninjas), Global Sports owner Shyam Patel, Chairman of iMark Developers Allu Venkat Reddy (Hyderabad Gliders), social activist of international repute Vijay Bhansali (Gujarat Thunders) and 2006 Mr India Bijit Gogoi (Assam Heroes).

Dr Venkata K Ganjam, TPL Co-founder and Director, pointed out that the league’s main aim was to create a robust year-long taekwondo calendar. “Our goal is to provide a platform for every serious taekwondo player in the country. Our series of leagues will be in different weight categories. These will also be held regularly so that the sport gains in popularity quickly,” he added.

Rajasthan Rebels beat Delhi Warriors to claim the TPL-1 crown in the first weight category.

Grand Master Jun Lee from South Korea, Chief Commissioner of TPL, welcomed the announcement, saying “This would help the players become better, technically as well as mentally. Each of them would improve as an athlete and would be better-equipped to compete against the world’s best.”

Mrs Navneetha Bachu, Co-founder and Director, said: “I have devoted my life to taekwondo and have gained a lot from it. It is now time to give back to the sport and help in its growth across India.”

Grand Master M Jayant Reddy, also a Co-founder with 28 Guinness Book Records said, “All taekwondo lovers are delighted to see a new platform for the players. TPL-1 was highly competitive and the players made the most of it.”