Kabiraj Negi Lama

Kabiraj Negi Lama 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 14 international official medals, including 3 gold, 2 silver, and 9 bronze. He became the first individual in Nepal’s taekwondo history to receive the Para Taekwondo Coach of the Year Award at the 2025 World Taekwondo Gala Awards, held on 2 February 2026 in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, and organized by World Taekwondo.

He is a former Nepali Taekwondo player and has participated in various national and international Taekwondo competitions. Additionally, Negi Lama served as the Head Coach of Nepal's Para Taekwondo team at both the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He is also the grandson of former minister Tilak Bahadur Negi Lama.

Palesha Goverdhan celebrates winning a major medal for Nepal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, alongside her coach Kabiraj Negi Lama, who is hoisting the Nepalese flag at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Career as an athlete He won the gold medal in the 9th Jeju International Sports for All Taekwondo Championships, Poomsae category, in 2009 in South Korea.

Coaching career He has held a 6th Dan Black belt from Kukkiwon South Korea and the Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA) since 2023.

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.

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

2016 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.

2017 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.

2018 His team participated in the Gold Coast Open Taekwondo Championship held in Australia, where he represented the team as the Team Manager.

2019 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 organized in Miki City, Japan.

2021 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.

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

2022 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.

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.

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.

2023 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.

2024

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.

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

Under the coaching of Kabiraj Negi Lama, Palesha Goverdhan won a historic bronze medal for Nepal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. This marked the greatest achievement in Nepalese sports history, as Nepal had never previously secured an official medal in either the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games. In recognition of this historic and remarkable achievement, Palesha Goverdhan was awarded NPR 6.5 million (approximately USD 48,000), and Coach Kabiraj Negi Lama received NPR 585,000 as a cash prize, both presented by the Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Oli, on behalf of the Government of Nepal in 13 September 2024. Additionally, his player Bharat Singh Mahata also competed in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

2025

Under the coaching of Kabiraj Negi Lama, athlete Palesha Goverdhan won a bronze medal for Nepal at the 10th Asian Para Taekwondo Championship held in Kuching, Malaysia, on 1 July 2025.

Similarly, under his coaching, Renu Tamang won a bronze medal for Nepal at the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from December 7 to 14, 2025.

2026 Negi Lama served as the head coach of Nepal at the 11th Asian Para Taekwondo Championships held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on May 25, 2026, where Nepali athlete Palesha Goverdhan won a bronze medal for Nepal.

Awards and nominations 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.

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.

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.

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 13 September 2024.

5. Negi Lama was honored with the Best Coach Award at the Bagmati Province Sports Awards 2082, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Bagmati Province. The award ceremony was held on 18 May 2025 in Hetauda, Makawanpur.

6.Negi Lama was awarded Coach of the Year at the NSJF Pulsar Sports Award 2081 by the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF), held on 7 January 2026 in Pokhara.

7. Negi Lama made history as the first person in Nepal's taekwondo history to receive the prestigious Para Taekwondo Coach of the Year Award at the 2025 World Taekwondo Gala Awards, held on 2 February 2026 in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, and organized by World Taekwondo (WT).

Kabiraj Negi Lama with Dr. Choue Chung-won, President of World Taekwondo, after receiving the Para Taekwondo Coach of the Year Award at the 2025 World Taekwondo Gala Awards, held in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on 2 February

His achievements as Para Taekwondo Coach 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 11. 10th Asian Para Taekwondo Championships 1 July 2025, Kuching, Malaysia Bronze Medal 12. Dubai 2025 Asian Youth Para Games 7 to 14 December 2025, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Bronze Medal 13. 11th Asian Para Taekwondo Championships 25 May 2026, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Bronze Medal