Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — For the first time, a Taekwondo competition is going to be held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The First Harrisburg Open Taekwondo Championship is scheduled to take place on August 23, 2025 (Bhadra 6, 2082 B.S.) at Dauphin County Technical School, Harrisburg. The event is being organized by Binita Puri Rai, head of the United Everest Taekwondo Academy. The main objective of the event is to bring together Taekwondo athletes from various states onto a single platform and provide them an opportunity to showcase their talents.

According to the organizers, around 300 athletes from 15 schools across the states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Kentucky are expected to participate in the competition.Grandmaster H.K. Lee will be present as the chief guest of the event. Grandmaster John L. Holloway will serve as the referee chairman, and Master Sanjeev Nepali will take on the role of referee coordinator.

The championship will be chaired by Senior Master Kumar Karki. Additionally, representatives from the state of Pennsylvania, officials from Swatara County, and local organization leaders will be present as special guests.This championship is expected to increase the significance of Taekwondo within the Nepali-American community and promote interest in sports among the younger generation.