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Nepali international taekwondo referee Dipendra Dhakal has been selected to serve as a referee at the 13th Korean Ambassador International Taekwondo Championship, which is being held in Lalitpur from Dec 1 to 6.

The event is being jointly organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal and the Nepal Taekwondo Association at the Taekwondo Academy building in Satdobato. The biennial championship, first held in 2003, has seen enthusiastic participation in all past editions and has been inaugurated or observed by high-level dignitaries, including the President of Nepal.

Teams from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan will join Nepal in this year’s edition following repeated requests from neighboring countries to participate. The tournament will feature 1,530 athletes competing in Gyrogi, Poomsae, and Para-Taekwondo categories across three arenas. The opening ceremony will include a taekwondo demonstration, cultural performances, and K-pop dance presentations.

Dhakal, who is affiliated with Tribhuvan Army Club, has been serving as a referee since 2014 and holds a fifth dan black belt. He is the first from the Nepali Army to become a WT international taekwondo referee and currently works as a taekwondo coach at the Army Club.

He has officiated in several major events, including the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan in 2019, and was named Best Referee at the Royal Spanish International Open Taekwondo Championship 2022. Dhakal has refereed in international tournaments across countries including Canada, China, Austria, Spain, Pakistan, Belgium, France, Germany, and Uzbekistan.

The 13th Korean Ambassador International Open Championships 2025 kicked off at the Nepal Taekwondo Association in Kathmandu on Monday.  

The event was jointly organized by the South Korean embassy in Nepal and Nepal Taekwondo Association.

In his opening remarks, Korean Ambassador to Nepal Ambassador Tae-young Park said that Taekwondo is the traditional martial art of Korea which has developed into a global sport, uniting individuals from different backgrounds through its core values of discipline, respect, and patience. 

He further committed to strengthening cooperation with Nepal particularly in the fields of sports and culture.

Praising the achievement of Nepal on Taekwondo in the world stage, Ambassador Park noted the success of Palesha Goverdhan, who made history by winning a bronze medal.

The victory was celebrated by both the countries as part of their shared sporting heritage.

This year’s championship has expanded into an international event with the participation of four neighboring countries. (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan).

Around 1,500 taekwondo athletes are competing for 103 gold medals in this year’s South Korean Ambassador open championships.

The event will conclude on December 5.

Napoli thwarted AS Roma's attempt to reclaim first place in the Serie A standings with a 1-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, where David Neres' goal moved the defending champions level on points with AC Milan at the summit, Reuters reported.

Having already lost to both AC and Inter Milan this season, Roma were again found wanting against one of their main title rivals, and were undone by a Napoli counter nine minutes before the break.

"We were badly unbalanced in that situation," Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini told DAZN, according to Reuters. 

Real Madrid's struggles continued on Sunday as they battled to a 1-1 draw at Girona in LaLiga, as Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty cancelled out Azzedine Ounahi's opener, extending Real's winless run in Spain's top flight to three matches, Reuters reported.

The draw sees Real drop to second in the standings on 33 points, one behind leaders Barcelona, and follows previous stalemates at Rayo Vallecano and Elche.

Villarreal sit third with 32 points, while Atletico Madrid are fourth on 31, with only three points separating the top four teams, according to Reuters.