Kathmandu, July 27 -- Every morning, except on Saturdays, Kabiraj Negi Lama walks into a modest taekwondo hall of the Nepal Taekwondo Association building in Satdobato, Lalitpur. The sun has barely risen, but the space is already abuzz with the echoes of powerful, menacing kicks hitting paddle targets and the sharp "aah!" of athletes pushing their limits.

They are para-taekwondo players-five of them-all chasing the same dream: medals for the country. And Lama is their coach-unpaid, unrecognised, but still holding on.

Less than a year ago, Lama helped Palesha Goverdhan win Nepal's first-ever medal at the world's biggest multi-sport stage-a bronze in the K44 -57kg category at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

It was a moment of historic pride....