Bougainville Taekwondo Team Shines at Korean Ambassador’s Cup 2024

The Korean Ambassador's Taekwondo Cup 2024 was held at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre in Port Moresby over the weekend.

Co-hosted by the EMbassy of the Republic of Korea and Taekwondo PNG, this one day championship drew in 22 fighters from Bougainville.

The Bougainvilleans took part in different categories, under 58, Under 68, Under 80, and 80 plus, taking with them after the fights, 2 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze medal.

Bougainville Taekwondo Team Head Coach Paul Hakaria expressed disappointment, saying his team could have won more medals if the team events had not been canceled.

Hakaria also said that some rules have changed, especially with the new scoring system, which Taekwondo PNG had not informed them about.

He's appealing for better training support for teams in the provinces.

Bougainville Taekwondo Team Captain Cornelius Parurua, who won a silver medal in his first competition, shared his excitement about his achievement.

“I am grateful for this achievement. I am looking forward to more competitions,” Parurua said.

Notable guests who attended the tournaments included Choi Jong Ho, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to PNG, Micah James, the CEO of the PNG Sports Foundation, and Stanley Nandex, the President of the PNG Kickboxing Federation.

Internal Security Minister and Bougainville Regional Member, Peter Tsiamalili Jr also showed his support for the Bougainville Taekwondo Team.

The Bougainville Taekwondo Team returns to Bougainville this week.