Due to ongoing disputes among the office bearers of the previous governing body (TFI) Indian Olympic Association took matters into its own hands and formed a new federation to provide relief to affected Taekwondo athletes nationwide. This decision by the IOA was welcomed and accepted by the WT President in an email dated 9th July 2019.
Even after clear stand of World Taekwondo regarding INDIA TAEKWONDO (IT) being the only National Sport Federation for Taekwondo in India, a faction led by officials of dis-affiliated & de-recognizedTaekwondo Federation of India (TFI) without providing the factual information & stand of World Taekwondo, pleaded to just permit themself to conduct the elections for their society as per Indian Societies Act 1860 to Hon'ble Delhi High Court. The Apex court, then considered the plea & passed an order for conduction of elections & appointed Court Commissioner cum Returning Officer for the same.
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.[4] 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.[3] The TFI received affiliation from the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) in 1979,[2] the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU) in 1982, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in 1985, and the South Asian Taekwondo Federation (SATF) in 1994.[3]
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 Taekwondo Practioners 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.[3]
The TFI granted affiliation to the Services Sports Control Board in 1990, the Taekwondo Academy of India in 1990, Army Sports Control Board (ASCB) in 1992, and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in 1995. Numerous state/UT taekwondo boards are also affiliated to the TFI.[3]
