Kathmandu, July 20 (Inditop.com) Nepal’s President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal are amongst the top leaders with a new martial feather in their caps. They all have been conferred honorary dans — the traditional black belt in taekwondo.
Prime Minister Nepal, the soft-spoken, diminutive communist leader, is now a formidable eighth dan — a top master of taekwondo who can be outpaced only by a ninth and 10th dan.
According to the Korean method of ranking exponents of the martial arts, a hachidan or eighth degree black belt holder combines leadership qualities with mastery over his art.
He can be outclassed only by the ninth dan since the 10th dan is a ranking given to few.
President Yadav, who is also the head of state got the coveted kyuudan, the ninth degree black belt.
Only about six people are said to have been conferred the 10th dan, five of them posthumously.
Nepal and Yadav were given the honour over the weekend by South Korea, the country where taekwondo, one of the world’s most popular martial sports, originated.
With the new honour, they leave Nepali taekwondo players, including its diva Olympian Sangina Vaidya who retired Sunday, far behind. The highest rank among them is the godan or fifth dan.
Nepal, whose coalition government is being obstructed by the Maoists, promptly flexed his muscles.
“Now we can take on anyone who tries to bully us,” he said.
In the past, when Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda was the prime minister, he had a political duel with President Yadav over the army chief, whom the Maoists wanted to sack.
But the president won the battle and reinstated the fired general and the Maoist government had to exit from power.
Now, in martial arts too, the prime minister can be worsted by the president.
Besides the premier and the president, the South Korean government also bestowed varying degrees of honour on other key figures in Nepal’s politics.
On par with Nepal is the chairman of the constituent assembly, Subhash Nembang, who was also conferred the eighth dan.
Nepal’s Sports and Youth Minister Ganesh Tiwari Nepali received the nanadan or seventh degree.
rounak