Four Nepali players - Asian Games bronze medalist duo Ayasha Shakya and Manita Shahi and Ashis Maharjan and Rohti Tamang - are undergoing training for the qualifiers with the only aim to qualify for the London Olympics 2012. [break]
In Dashain festival too, the players gave continuity to training, but individually.
Shakya and Shahi are competing in women´s 56 kg and 67 kg while Maharjan and Tamang are competing in men´s 60 kg and 58 kg.
Korean coach Kwan Yuang Dhal who has been living in Nepal for 13 years is imparting training twice a day and former Olympian Sangina Baidhya is assisting him.
Coaches and the players have only one worry - lack of sparring (fighting) partners. "Nepali players are well aware of each others´ playing style. If they get sparring chances with new and proficient partners, they can know about their weaknesses and work on them," coach Dhal said adding, "Dashain leave has affected the training and there is not much time left for the qualifiers."
In the international arena, Neapl has been able to reach to the final round of Olympics in taekwondo. Taekwondo players Sangina Baidhya and Dipak Bista made it to the final stage through qualifying round in 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Coach Dahl who trained Baidhya and Bista in the past is more optimistic on experienced players Shakya and Shahi. "They have proved themselves time and again. And, it is no surprise to expect good results from them. I think Mount Everest Taekwondo held a month earlier has enhanced the confidence level of players."
Dahl says there is not much difference between the players of other Asian countries and Nepal. "Our players are not very weak. Taekwondo is played not only with the help of legs but also with brain. One should use one´s brain and the timing is very vital. The performance of players on the very day of the match is vital."
Dahl has planned to train thrice a day after the arrival of players from their Dashain leave. Olympian Bista regretted that Nepali players failed to gain a fruitful experience after Nepal pulled out of the event, citing financial reason a couple of months earlier.
The four times South Asian Games (SAG) gold winner Bista said, "The more matches you play, the more capable you become to understand opponent´s moves. Had Nepal Taekwondo Association arranged for foreign training of these four players, they would have been more confident during the match. The chances to qualify would have increased."
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