Taekwondo Papua New Guinea's National Championships returned after the COVID-19 pandemic ©Taekwondo PNG

Taekwondo Papua New Guinea held a National Championships for the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event took place over two days in capital city Port Moresby and was used as a selection competition for Papua New Guinea's national team.

More than 120 athletes took part in the Championships which included both kyorugi and poomsae taekwondo.

Senior, junior and cadet divisions were all included.

Seventeen clubs were involved with Cratsee Tito serving as tournament director. 

Bobby Willie was named as the best senior male of the tournament, while the senior female prize went to Yvette Boyama.

More than 120 athletes took part in the event in Port Moresby ©Taekwondo PNG
More than 120 athletes took part in the event in Port Moresby ©Taekwondo PNG

Auvita Rapilla, an International Olympic Committee member from Papua New Guinea, was among those in attendance.

She is also the secretary general of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee.

John Cholai, the President of Taekwondo Papua New Guinea, said the organisation would now prepare for international competitions.

Papua New Guinea had qualified a taekwondo athlete for every Olympics since Beijing 2008 but was missing from Tokyo 2020 after none of the country's fighters managed to come through the Oceania qualification tournament.

At Rio 2016, the country fielded aunt and nephew Samantha and Max Kassman.