LALITPUR: An eight-member Nepali para-taekwondo team is on Sunday leaving for Japan to undergo training to prepare for next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.

The team, which includes three Kyorugi and two poomsae players along with three officials, will take part in a week-long training in Miki of Hyogo Prefecture. “The training programme is part of the memorandum of understanding signed between Nepal Taekwondo Association and Miki City Metropolitan to help Nepali para-taekwondo players for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said Nepal Taekwondo Association in a release.

Palesha Gobardhan, Dipesh Mahat, Rohit Hang Rai, Bikram Shrestha and Subash Chandra Rai are the players who left for Japan along with coach Kabiraj Negi Lama, manager Roshan Shrestha and team leader Ram Chandra Shrestha.

The first phase of the training is scheduled for August 5-11. NTA President Prakash Shumsher Rana, General Secretary Deep Raj Gurung and Para-taekwondo Committee President Kashim Miya Dhobi bade farewell to the team on Friday.