Taekwondo Federation of India


In the year 1976, The Taekwondo Federation of India “TFI” was formed on 2nd Aug. 1976, and established as a National Taekwondo Body in India.
Jimmy R. Jagtiani is the founder and father of taekwondo in India. Jagtiani, who was born in Vietnam in 1955, had emigrated to India Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh with his family to escape the Vietnam War. He founded the Taekwondo Federation of India on 2 August 1976, and is regarded as the father of taekwondo in India. The federation marked its first anniversary in 1977 with a demonstration of high power taekwondo techniques at the K.D. Singh Babu Indoor Stadium in Lucknow, which was inaugurated by none other than the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Mr. Bum Suk Lee was the Chief Guest. Master Jimmy R. Jagtiani received Ambassador’s Medal from Hon'ble Bum Suck Lee and declared Jimmy R. Jagtiani the Founder of Taekwondo in India in 1977.
In the year 1978, the 2nd Anniversary of TFI was organized. Hon'ble Minister Don Wu Chu, Republic of Korea was the Chief Guest, he awarded Minister's Medal to Master Jimmy R. Jagtiani and declared Master Jimmy the Father of Taekwondo in India in 1978.
The TFI received affiliation from the World Taekwondo Federation in 1979, the Asian Taekwondo Union in 1982, the Indian Olympic Association in 1985, and the South Asian Taekwondo Federation in 1994.
Taekwondo was included as a discipline for the first at the 1985 National Games in New Delhi. The TFI organized a special taekwondo demonstration by Korean taekwondokas for then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the Prime Minister's residence on 17 March 1986. Gandhi was impressed by the demonstration and agreed to "extend all possible help" to the TFI. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports officially recognized the TFI as the national governing body for taekwondo in 1988.
The TFI granted affiliation to the Services Sports Control Board in 1990, the Taekwondo Academy of India in 1990, Army Sports Control Board in 1992, and the Central Industrial Security Force in 1995. Numerous state/UT taekwondo boards are also affiliated to the TFI.