A BRIGHT FUTURE GUIDED BY DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP By Steve Oma-Ofozor /Lagos The hope of Nigeria hauling medals in taekwondo in future international competitions may have been brightened by the Government of The Republic of Korea if the promise it made through the Ambassador, Choi Jung Hyun, to help develop the sport with all passion recently in Lagos is anything to go by. The Ambassador speaking during the 4th Korean Ambassador‘s West Africa Taekwondo Championship 2013, hosted by Lagos State, emphasised that the assistance would come through their sponsorship in collaborations with corporate organisations as they intend to bring in coaches from Korea to help train the local coaches in the taekwondo sport by organising clinics. Also, the Ambassador reiterated organising regular competitions and the consistency of the just concluded annual Korean Ambassador’s Cup (KAC) sponsored by the embassy in partnership with electronic giant, LG, as the sanctioning functions were carried out by the Nigeria Taekwondo Black Belt College. Interestingly, the Korean Embassy is taken this giant stride against the backdrop that taekwondo talents abound in Nigeria, noting that the present standard of the game is at a very low ebb as against what is expected at the international level. This fact, however, was corroborated by the new President of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), George Ashiru, who affirmed that: “Tournaments are the life of taekwondo and we are thankful that the Korean Government is stepping in to do proactively what we expect indigenous corporate organisations to do.” However, in response to the need to move taekwondo sport to next level in Nigeria is the reason a deliberate and conscious steps and efforts are being made by Ashiru, who was sworn in only four months ago, to ensure that this year’s KAC championship is not only hosted in a state with state-of-the-art facilities, but new events in taekwondo are introduced as well as team fight. Again, the president said: “This is the first time since 1986 that team fighting event has been held in Nigeria. Also, this is the first time ever we are having the poomsae and the special skills (kiokpa or breaking).” Thus, within this period of four months of Ashiru’s administration, NTBBC General Secretary, Gbolahon Ogunmuyiwa, revealed that the NTF has executed youth team sponsorship to South Korea, coaching course participation for three months in South Korea, referees seminar/course in Lagos and grading/promotion test. Others are insurance for all the active taekwondoists, licensing scheme, new national taekwondo team coach from Korea and contingent demonstration by the Kukkiwon Demonstration Team from Korea that of course, thrilled spectators with maximum performance during the KAC championship. The new president who may seem a blessing to NTF, an All Africa Games, Cairo ‘91 silver medalist, it was also revealed ensured the holding and success of the 2013 edition of KAC championship irrespective of all odds, to prepare Team Nigeria for the forthcoming World Taekwondo Championship later this year in Cote d’Ivoire. Much thanks to the magnanimity and quick intervention of the Korean government to rescue the sport in Nigeria, otherwise the taekwondo sport which was introduced to Nigeria in 1986, according to coach/referee, Charity Igbinedion of Edo State who is also a member of the Nigeria Taekwondo Referee Association (NTRA), has suffered too much neglect in all ramification. In the words of Igbinedion: “Since 1986 until the coming of this new president, Ashiru, the athletes have been on their own, no fund from government, no sponsorship, just individual efforts. “Again, the events have always been individual events, because when no sponsors how can people come together to form a team in a combat sports,” he wondered. “In 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the sport was a demonstration event, non-scoring and Nigeria got a silver medal with a Korean as the coach and I was the assistant coach then. From then on it has been every man on his own,” Igbinedion added. However, for the three-day KAC championship, September 9-11, which had an encouraging participation of 30 teams as against the expected 40 teams, some progress was made as Nigeria male taekwondo team has been selected among the top 16 taekwondo teams in the world for WTF World Taekwondo Team Cup billed for Cote d’ Ivoire in November this year. According to the NTF president, the championship will help the athletes to acquire crucial points towards qualification for Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil. The athletes are Afam Inumah, Sunday Onofe, Oriade Onireti, Segun Olusola, Abubakar Hussein, Hamid A. Hamid and Shola Olowookere for men, while some outstanding women athletes include Chinyere Uwazie, Chimazum Nwosu, Adaeze Asigbe, Sekinat Adebayo and Itunu Aramide. Also, Augustus Agbozo of Ghana Taekwondo Academy emerged the best male player, while Nigeria Blessing Nwakama of Team Lagos was the best female player. In same vein, the Federation has created a data-bank to help in the monitoring and progress of the athletes, a development that will be the responsibility of the Black Belt College. It is on record that Nigeria’s only scoring taekwondo medal, a bronze, since 1986 was won by Chika Chukwumerije in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has participated in the sports at the Olympics only four times, the aforementioned Athens 2004 and London 2012. In this regard, if the zeal of the present NTF board is jealously guided and maintained, one can say confidently that taekwondo has taken a firm foundation in Nigeria. dailyindependentnig/2013/09/korea-redefining-taekwondo-in-nigeria/
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 09:34:08 +0000
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