Kabiraj Negi Lama (Nepali: कविराज नेगी लामा, born 20 September 1989 in Dandakharka, Makwanpur) is a notable figure in Nepalese Para Taekwondo and a successful coach who has made significant contributions to the sport in Nepal. Under his coaching, Nepal has won 11 international official medals, including 3 gold, 2 silver, and 6 bronze.[1][2] He is a former Nepalese Taekwondo player and the coach of the Nepal National Para Taekwondo Team for both the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics and Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics.[3] He has participated in various taekwondo competitions.[4][5][6] He is also the grandson of former minister Tilak Bahadur Negi Lama.[7]

Kabiraj Negi Lama
National Para Taekwondo Coach, NTA
Personal information
Full nameKabiraj Negi Lama (कविराज नेगी लामा)
NicknameCobs Negi Lama
NationalityNepalese
Born (1989-09-20) 20 September 1989 (age 35)
Makawanpur, Nepal
Height1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight58 kg (128 lb)
SpouseSunita Lama
Sport
SportTaekwondo
Medal record
9th Jeju International Sports for All Taekwondo Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 South Korea Poomsae

Career as an athlete

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He won the gold medal in the 9th Jeju International Sports for All Taekwondo Championships, Poomsae category, in 2009 in South Korea.[8]

Coaching career

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He has held a 6th Dan Black belt from Kukkiwon South Korea and the Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA) since 2023.[9][10][11]

He is an International Para Taekwondo Coach, having acquired the International Coach Certificate and Para Taekwondo Level-II License, conducted by World Para Taekwondo in December 2020.[12]

He has been the Team Coach of the National Para Taekwondo Team, Nepal Taekwondo Association, since 2015.[13]

2016

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He was the Team Coach at the 20th Asian Cities Taekwondo Championship held in Hong Kong, China, in 2016. Later that same year, he participated in the Para Taekwondo Course in Muju, South Korea.[14][15]

2017

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He was the Team Coach at the 3rd 2017 Asian Para Taekwondo Championships in Choenchoun, South Korea, where para athlete Ranjana Dhami won a bronze medal in the Kyorugi (K-44) category.[16]

2018

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His team participated in the Gold Coast Open Taekwondo Championship held in Australia, where he represented the team as the Team Manager.[17][18]

2019

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He participated as the team coach at the 8th 2019 World Para Taekwondo Championships, where athlete Bikram Shrestha won a bronze medal in Antalya, Turkey.

Later, he participated in the Para Taekwondo Training Camp in Miki City, Japan.[19] organized in Miki City, Japan.[20]

2021

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His athlete Palesha Goverdhan won a gold medal, while Shrijana Ghising and Bishal Garbuja each won a silver and a bronze at the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games. He led the para team as the coach to achieve these historical medals in 2021 Asian Youth Para Games.[21]

He also coached Nepal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Games,[22] where his athlete Palesha Goverdhan won repechage matches against athletes from the United States and Serbia in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics Games.[23]

2022

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Lama participated as a team coach in the Para 4th WT President's Cup Asian Region Taekwondo Championships on 14 March 2022 in Tehran, Iran, where his player Shrijana Ghising won a silver medal for Nepal.[24][25]

He also participated as a team coach in the Sharjah Qualification Tournament for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games in Sharjah, UAE on 24–27 May 2022, where his athlete Ranjana Dhami won a bronze medal for Nepal.[26][27]

As the Team Coach of the Riyadh 2022 World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix Final held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, his athlete Shrijana Ghising won the first historical gold medal for Nepal in the World Taekwondo Grand Prix-Final after defeating top-ranked athletes from Mexico, Brazil, and Turkey.[28][29][30]

2023

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Negi Lama participated as a team coach in the 2022 Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China, from 22 to 28 October 2023. During this time, his player Palesha Goverdhan won a bronze medal, becoming the first Nepalese para athlete to win a medal in the Asian Para Games.[31][32]

2024

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Negi Lama led as a coach in the Asian Qualification Tournament for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games held in Tai'an, China, from 15 to 17 March 2024. His player Palesha Goverdhan won a gold medal, making history as the first Nepali Paralympian to qualify for the 2024 Summer Paralympics Games.[33][34]

Negi Lama also participated in the 2024 Asian Para Taekwondo Championships held in Da Nang, Vietnam, on 19 May 2024, as a team coach.[35][36]

Under the coaching of Mr. Negi Lama, Palesha Goverdhan won a historic bronze medal for Nepal at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics, marking the biggest achievement in Nepali sports. Additionally, his player Bharat Singh Mahata also competed in the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[37]

Awards and Nominations

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1. Lama was nominated as the best coach of the year in the NSJF Pulsar Sports Awards 2078,by Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) held on 7 March 2023.[38]

2. Negi Lama has been awarded NOC Best Coach Male 2022 by Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC Award 2022) on 23 June 2023. Appreciating his contribution to the development of Para Taekwondo in Nepal, he has been honored with NOC Award Best Coach Male 2022.[39][40]

3. Negi has been awarded Best Taekwondo Coach Award-2024 by Nepal Taekwondo Association held on 20 April 2024 in Sauraha Chitwan. He was honored by Minister of Youth and Sports Honorable Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and President of Nepal Taekwondo Association Prakash Shamsher Rana.[41][42]

4. Lama was nominated as the best coach of the year in the NSJF Pulsar Sports Awards 2080,by Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) held on 13th September 2024.[43]

His achievements as Para Taekwondo Coach

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S.N Events Date/Venue Remarks
1. 3rd Asian Para Taekwondo Championships 1 July 2017, Chuncheon, South Korea Bronze Medal
2. 8th World Para Taekwondo Championships 5, 6 February 2019, Antalya, Turkey Bronze Medal
3. Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics Games 24 August-5 September 2021, Tokyo, Japan Palesha Goverdhan had Won Repechage match against USA and Serbia athletes
4. 2021 Asian Youth Para Games 2–6 December 2021, Manama, Bahrain 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze Medal
5. Para 4th WT President's Cup 14 March 2022, Tehran, Iran Silver Medal
6. Sharjah Qualification Tournament for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games 24–27 May 2022, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Bronze Medal
7. Riyadh 2022 World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix Final G10 8–10 December 2022, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Gold Medal
8. Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games 22–28 October 2023, Hangzhou, China Bronze Medal
9. Asian Qualification Tournament For Paris 2024 Paralympic Games (2024 Asian Taekwondo Paralympic Qualification Tournament) 15–17 March 2024, Tai'an, China Gold Medal with Qualified
10. Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics 28 August to 8 September 2024, Paris, France Bronze Medal

References

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  1. ^ "पारा तेक्वान्दोमा नेपाललाई ओलम्पिक पुर्‍याउने गुरु कविराज". kantipurtv.com.
  2. ^ "Kabiraj Negi Lama: A taekwondo trainer who takes pride in his student's success". The Annapurna Express.
  3. ^ "पलेशा र लामा सम्मानित". ekantipur.com.
  4. ^ "नेपालमा पारा तेक्वान्दोका खेलाडीको पसिना पुच्छ्नेदेखि लिएर दिसापिसाव समेत गराउनुपर्छ". khojtalasnews.com.
  5. ^ "Negi Lama honoured". The Himalayan Times. 4 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Rivera School Honors Taekwondo Coach Kabiraj Negi". 25 February 2017.
  7. ^ "सोनाम ल्होछारको अवसरमा तामाङ समुदायका पहिलो मन्त्री सम्मानित". kharibot.com.
  8. ^ "Coach Kabiraj thinks government support necessary to develop Para-sports". The Rising Nepal. Vol. LVII, no. 37. 20 January 2022 – via Gorkhapatra.
  9. ^ "Para coach Negi Lama gets Kukkiwon's sixth dan". kathmandupost.com.
  10. ^ "Lama receives sixth DAN certificate". 23 August 2023.
  11. ^ News, Nepal. "Sixth Dan to Coach Negi". nepalnews.com. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ^ "Lama gets license". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. 8 December 2020.
  13. ^ काठमाडौँ, सञ्जय थापा. "पारा ओलम्पिक: पदकका लागि तत्काल प्रशिक्षण आवश्यक". nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com.
  14. ^ "कुँवर र लामाद्वारा पारा तेक्वान्दो कोर्ष पूरा". Sourya Online.
  15. ^ "Team off to SKorea". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. Himalayan News Service. 26 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Dhami claims bronze". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. 2 July 2017.
  17. ^ "तेक्वान्दोका पदक विजेता अस्ट्रेलियामा सम्मानित – Khelpati".
  18. ^ "Team departs". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. Himalayan News Service. 27 July 2018.
  19. ^ "Nepal wins bronze in World Para Taekwondo Championship". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. 6 February 2019.
  20. ^ "Nepali taekwondo athletes visit Japan in bid to reach Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". 7 August 2019.
  21. ^ "Goverdhan claims gold". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. Himalayan News Service. 6 December 2021.
  22. ^ "पलेशा गोवर्धन श्रेष्ठः पारालिम्पिक्सको तेक्वान्दोमा नेपाली खेलाडीले पदक जित्ने सम्भावना कति? – BBC News नेपाली". 31 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Taekwondo – Paralympic Athletes, Photos & Events". Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  24. ^ "पारा तेक्वान्दोकी सिर्जनाले इरानमा जितिन् रजत". ekantipur.com.
  25. ^ "सिर्जनालाई इरानमा रजत, नेपाललाई फेयर प्ले अवार्ड".
  26. ^ "Dhami bags bronze". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. Himalayan News Service. 27 May 2022.
  27. ^ "शारजहाँमा पारा खेलाडी रञ्जनाले जितिन् कांस्य". ekantipur.com.
  28. ^ "Nepal celebrates historic first thanks to Para taekwondo champion Shrijana Ghising". International Paralympic Committee.
  29. ^ "Ghising bags gold in Para-Taekwondo GP". 10 December 2022.
  30. ^ "पारा तेक्वान्दोः ग्राण्ड प्रिक्स फाइनलमा सृजनालाई स्वर्ण, विश्व वरीयतामा छलाङ".
  31. ^ https://resultsapg.hangzhou2022.com.cn/rds/sports/TKW?index=1&date=2023-10-24&event=TKWW57KG--------------------------. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ^ News, Nepal. "First medal for Nepal in Asian Para Games". nepalnews.com. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  33. ^ "Palesha qualified for the Paris Para Olympics". nepalnews.com. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  34. ^ एसिया छनोट जित्दै पलेशा ओलम्पिकमा [Palesha Olympics by winning the Asia Qualifier]. ekantipur.com (in Nepali). 18 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  35. ^ "एसियाली पारा तेक्वान्दो जाने टोलीको बिदाइ". ekantipur.com.
  36. ^ "पारा तेक्वान्दो टोली भियतनाम जाने".
  37. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan takes Nepali sports to a new high". kathmandupost.com.
  38. ^ "Football, cricket dominate Sports Award nominations". kathmandupost.com.
  39. ^ "Nepal Olympic Committee". nocnepal.org.np.
  40. ^ "च्याम्पियन उत्पादन गर्ने स्वयंसेवी प्रशिक्षक".
  41. ^ "Palesa and Kabiraj are the best of the year". nepalnews.com. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  42. ^ "Paralympian Palesha, Kabiraj 2080's best taekwondo practitioner, instructor". risingnepaldaily.com. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  43. ^ "NSJF Pulsar Awards 2080: Nominees for four categories announced". kathmandupost.com.