The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung will be the guest of honour at the grand finale of the annual Korean Ambassador’s Cup scheduled to kick off on Friday hold on 1 and 2 December 2017 at the National Stadium Package B Abuja.
The minister will also have the Ambassador of South Korea in attendance as well as other dignitaries.
The two-day tournament is organized by the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation and sponsored by the Republic of Korea Embassy, has a total of 150 athletes from three countries, 18 Nigerian States, 26 Clubs and the Para Military confirmed, who will be competing the Olympic categories of Male -58kg, -68kg, -80kg and +80kg as well as Female -49kg, -57kg, -67kg, and +67kg
Teams confirmed include the National Taekwondo Teams of Cameroon, Niger Republic, and Republic of Chad. Others include athletes from Nasarawa, Delta, Kebbi, Plateau, Niger, Taraba, Ondo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Lagos, Kano, Zamfara, Borno, Abia, Yobe, Cross River, NSCDC, A.B.U Zaria and some private taekwondo clubs.
For the Technical Director, 3-time Olympian Chika Chukwumerije, the aim is to start scouting for and exposing the athletes that would represent the country.
“I am primarily interested in seeing our best athletes right now and making notes. We want to build a formidable national team and we need to know our current arsenal to make a right assessment on the areas we need to work on. Having seen the quality teams registered by Niger Republic and Cameroon especially, I am looking forward to see how our Nigerian teams will rise up to the occasion”
The teams are expected to stay back to compete in the first ever Nigeria Taekwondo Open Championships, holding 9 – 11 December 2017.