KUANTAN: Four taekwondo masters have successfully attained first class examiner status from Kukkiwon, the world taekwondo headquarters, making them part of only five who have the qualification in Malaysia.

       The Kukkiwon is the official governing body established by the South Korean government for taekwondo.

       Ninth dan grand master Tony Wong Hee Kee announced that eighth dan masters - Zul Sham Azlimi, Ramesh Raju, Kalaiselvan Myandy and Goh You Peng - achieved the feat at the 84th international taekwondo master course and the 38th poom/dan examiner course held in Bergen, Norway recently.

       Dan is the ranking for black belt holders in taekwondo.

       "The Professional Taekwondo Centre is proud of their achievement. With this, they join me as the only five qualified first class Kukkiwon examiners in Malaysia," Wong said when contacted.

       Wong said to qualify for the first class examiner test, one had to be an eighth dan taekwondo master, which would take an average of 20 years to reach.

       Wong himself was the first and currently only Malaysian who had attained ninth dan from Kukkiwon.

       "Taekwondo examinations have been badly affected over the past two years by the Covid-19. The exam in Norway was the first of four such examinations this year and we are trying to catch up," he said.