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.