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In a major boost to sports development in the North-East, the Directorate of Sports & Youth Welfare (DSYW), Government of Assam, in collaboration with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), will host a Taekwondo Talent Identification & Masterclass Programme at Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati, from 17 to 23 January 2026, according to a release.
The seven-day programme aims to identify, nurture, and accelerate Taekwondo talent across Assam and the North-East region, while establishing a structured pathway for athletes to progress towards elite national and international competition. Nandita Gorlosa, Minister, Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Govt of Assam, said, "This initiative reflects Assam's resolve to empower coaches and athletes with the right knowledge, training and support needed to drive sustained sporting success. We are committed to building a stronger sports future not only for Assam but for the country, and initiatives like these take us a step closer to that goal." The first-of-its-kind initiative will be led by two globally renowned Taekwondo champions, Jade Jones, two-time Olympic Champion and World Champion, and Achab Jaouad, World and European Champion. They bring with them extensive experience from competing at the highest levels of international sport. "I am really excited to be part of this initiative. India has a huge talent pool, and with the right support, many athletes can reach the highest level, including the LA Games. I am happy to support with IIS on a programme that focuses on building athletes the right way from an early stage," said Jade Jones, two-time Olympic Champion. Their involvement will provide Olympic-level benchmarking, elite tactical and technical exposure, and international standards of athlete evaluation. The Assam event is structured in two stages, beginning with the Talent Identification phase from 17 to 18 January 2026. This phase will focus on identifying high-potential young female athletes through structured fight evaluations, physical screening, and technical assessments. This will be followed by the Taekwondo Masterclass from 19 to 23 January 2026, a five-day intensive training programme for male and female athletes covering all key aspects of the sport, including technical development, tactical understanding, physical preparation, and competition readiness. The initiative marks a significant step towards strengthening Taekwondo development in Assam and the North-East, while contributing to India's long-term vision of building a sustainable pipeline of future international and Olympic-level athletes. This event is part of IIS Taekwondo's Fighting Chance, a talent hunt programme launched under the leadership of High-Performance Director Gary Hall. The programme aims to identify talented female martial arts athletes and guide them towards an Olympic podium finish at the LA 2028 Games. Gary Hall is widely credited with transforming Great Britain's Taekwondo programme from a limited, under-funded system into one of the most successful high-performance models globally. His partnership with GB Taekwondo resulted in 10 Olympic medals, 4 Paralympic medals, and more than 70 European podium finishes. (ANI)
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