1. Biography
    Early life  Initiation of Professional Taekwondo  Premature Retirement from Army  First Taekwondo Instructor of Nepal  First Taekwondo Instructor of India  Life as a Social Worker  Indian National Congress 

2. References

9th Dan, Taekwondo^[3]
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Grand Master Puran Andrew Gurung (Indian Hindi: [ पूरण एंड्रयू गुरुंग {p uu - r uh n AE n - d r oo g uh r uh ng}];Born 13 November 1949 ) known as “Father of Taekwondo India and Nepal" ^[1]”, is a 9th DAN Taekwondo professional Known to establish Taekwondo in India. He established his first Taekwondo Gymnasium at Kalimpong in 1974 and by 1982 he became the most popular Taekwondo Instructor of India. He established a vast chain of academies across the nation. His efforts towards promoting Taekwondo in India was acknowledged by the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi and he was requested to train Congress Seva Dal Cadets. In 1983 Mrs Gandhi asked him to join INC which he readily accepted. Where he is still serving as General Secretary (Organiser) at INC Seva Dal.^[4] He established several social organizations in India, and served as coach of Nepal National Team from 1986 to 1989. His students from Nepal won 4 Bronze Medals at ASIAN GAMES, Seoul, Korea, and 1 Bronze Medal at Olympic Games, and he also contributed his services as Vice- Chairman in 8th Asian Taekwondo Championship,Kathmandu. He is Acting National Coordinator Taekwondo/ Martial Arts at Sports Federation of India,^[5] New Delhi. He is among the Directors of International Taekwondo Council, U.K,^[6] International Technical Director International Ch’Ang Taekwondo Federation, Canada, Chairman-Taekwondo Development Foundation (Regd), New Delh, All India Taekwondo Federation (Regd), New Delhi, and PAG International Taekwondo, New Delhi.^[7] He is also the Brand Ambassador of Guinness World Record in India (Taekwondo). He is considered the patron of Korean Culture Center, New Delhi. Embassy of Republic of Korea. He was Posted at Taekwondo Federation of India as Chairman - Technical Committee and National Disciplinary Committee, and was the Competition Director in 34th NATIONAL GAMES – 2011, Jharkhand.

Biography

Early life

G M Gurung was born on 13 November 1949^[8] in a poor family of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. His father served as non-commissioned officer in Gorkha Regiment, under British rule. Shortly after his birth the British army shifted several battalions to Singapore following the independence of India. His father being an official accompanied the British army to Singapore. He spent his early childhood studying in Gorkha School in Singapore, later his family shifted to Batu Pahat, Malaya now known as Malaysia where he studied into Jublee high School up to class 10th (1964). In 1962 he joined British Caddet while studying in class 8th. It was the time when he was introduced with martial arts and joined Judo classes. In 1963 he won Junior National Championship in judo. In the same year he dislocated his right arm while practicing judo and had to undergo major surgical treatments. After his High school he started pursuing technical education in electronics and Communication. He joined British army Gorkha Regiment as non commissioned officer in 1965. From 1965 to 1970 he had to abstain himself from judo due to the injury and official responsibilities, but he kept practicing judo in his personal hours.

Initiation of Professional Taekwondo

In 1970 while he was posted in Hong Kong he casually went to YMCA where he met Great Grand Master Lee Pyung Pal. Seeing his distinctive style GM Gurung was quite impressed and requested Master Lee to start training Taekwondo in Army Cantonment Area. Master lee accepted the offer and started to train him and many other students in Army Cantonment Area. By 1972 GM Gurung earned his 2nd Dan in Taekwondo.

Premature Retirement from Army

In 1973 he got an opportunity to showcase his talent. He was selected to participate in 1st World Taekwondo Championship, but unfortunately he could not proceed to Korea. His official obligations proved to be the biggest roadblock. This proved to be a setback for him. It was then he realized that to pursue his passion of Taekwondo he will have to take premature retirement from British Army. He never gave it a second thought to the idea and finally took premature retirement from British Army and went to Nepal in later 1973.

First Taekwondo Instructor of Nepal

He tried to initiate Taekwondo academy at Kathmandu, but at that time martial arts training for civilians was prohibited in Nepal. When he did his first demonstration in Nepal in 1973, He had to face severe consequences and finally had to flee from Nepal. Later GM P Andrew Gurung was invited by His Royal Highness Prince Dhirendra Bir Bikram Shah, Patron National Sports Council Nepal, to Demonstrate Taekwondo at City Hall Kathmandu, 1982.^[9] He was offered to open an academy of Taekwondo at Nepal which he rejected and came back to India. In 1986 he was again pursued to become the coach of Nepal National Team of Taekwondo. This offer was accepted by him and his trainees won 4 Bronze Medals at ASIAN GAMES, Seoul, Korea, and 1 Bronze Medal at Olympic Games.

First Taekwondo Instructor of India

Having no other option after fleeing from Nepal in 1973, he came back to his home town Darjeeling and started the first Taekwondo Gymnasium of India at Scottish University Mission Institute (SUMI) in 1974 at Kalimpong followed by Darjeeling Taekwondo Academy at Turn Bull High School and one at Gangtok Sikkim where he personally trained the students till 1978, and became the first Taekwondo Instructor of India. In 1978 he started his National Taekwondo Voyage in India. He came down to Kolkata and by 1981 established 4 other academies in Kolkata at Hindi High School, Saint Thomas School, BBYS and YMCA. after 1981 he started expanding his arm to different parts of India notably Madrass, Banglore, Calicut, Kerala, Hydrabad, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, Guahati, Meghalayam, Mizoram and many more places till the end of 1982. By this time he became the most popular Taekwondo Instructor of India, consequently inviting professional rivalries. In 1982 he shifted to Delhi and started his academy at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University. Later the Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame USA conferred upon him the title of Father of Taekwondo India and Nepal.^[2] to

Life as a Social Worker

Apart from his Taekwondo Fame he was also known as an active social worker. He has establish several NGOs that worked for the education of children from underprivileged sections of the societies and woman empowerment. He established Tentulkuli Jankalyan Samity at Howrah, Kolkotta, West Bengal and established school (Little Angel School) and taught several children unpto classs III under this organisation. GM Gurung continuously donated major section of his earnings for to this organisation. He further established different NGOs for women empowerment in different parts of india notebly "Jan Hit" Guwahati, Assam and Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh etc

Indian National Congress

References

• Battle of berestechko
• Battle of berezina
• Battle of Berezina (1919)
• Battle of bergendal
• Battle of Bergen (disambiguation)
• Battle of Bergen (Seven Years' War)
• Battle of Bergerac
• Battle of Berlin (disambiguation)
• Battle of Berlin (film)
• Battle of berne
• Battle of beroia
• Battle of Beroia (1208)
• Battle of berryville
• Battle of berzitia
• Battle of Bessang Pass
• Battle of beth horon
• Battle of Beth Horon (66)
• Battle of Bethune
• Battle of beth zechariah
• Battle of beth zur
• Battle of beverhoutsveld
• Battle of Bevezier
• Battle of Beveziers
• Battle of bezzecca
• Battle of Bhamo