The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF)

  • NTF hails two world-ranked Nigerian para-taekwondo athletes

    George Ashiru, the President of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), has applauded the feat of two para-taekwondo athletes who have been listed among the top five in the world.

    Ashiru told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos he was well pleased with the athletes’ latest ranking in world para-taekwondo by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).

    NAN reports that the two athletes, Faith Obazuaye and Samson Ukpera, moved into the WTF top five in their category.

    Obazuaye jumped from sixth to third in the women’s K44 under-58 kg division, while Ukpera moved up six spots to fifth in the men’s K42 under – 61kg division.

    “This new ranking is commendable.

    “I commend the contributions of these athletes who have exhibited impressive performances at international meets, which have helped to place them in their current positions,’’ Ashiru said.

    NAN reports that both athletes had won laurels for the country at para-taekwondo championships in 2016 and 2017.

    Obazuaye won a gold medal in the female K44 (-58kg) category, while Ukpera clinched the male K42 (-61kg) gold medal also at the para-taekwondo championships in Kigali, Rwanda.

    The championships were held from April 1 to April 2.

    The athletes featured in the 2016 edition held in Egypt, where Obazuaye clinched gold medal in the female class and Ukpera also won bronze medal in the male class.

    The NTF president recounted how delighted he was when he got news of the athletes’ new ranking.

    “I was delighted when the information from the WTF hit my mail this morning, where our paraathletes were ranked among the top five in the world.

    “This ranking is based on culmination of several efforts from the recent results of competitions, and this is a good development for the taekwondo family and the country at large, and it is praiseworthy,’’ he said.

    Speaking also, Obazuaye who expressed happiness to find her name among the world’s best five told NAN that she had always aspired to have national and international recognition in her career.

    “In fact, I don’t know what to say. But I thank God that my dream is coming to reality because the journey to this position was not easy,’’ she said.

    Ukpera, in his reaction, said he was grateful to the NTF for its tremendous support.

    He said this had given him the opportunity to exhibit his talent and represent the country at international competitions.

    Ukpera said it was such support and encouragement that helped him to perform credibly at WTF-organised championships and which made it possible for him to improve and be well ranked.

    Saidu Abdullahi, an NTF board member, said while reacting that the ranking was a good development for taekwondo in the country, as well as the para taekwondo athletes.

    Abdullahi said he was proud of the athletes for making the nation proud and for their impressive performances at the tournaments which gave birth to the recent WTF ranking.

    “Our para-athletes have really done well. They have proved to the world that Nigeria has worthy talents. I am impressed,’’ he said.(

  • Nigeria claims gold medals at African Para Taekwondo Open

    Nigeria claims gold medals at African Para Taekwondo Open

    Nigeria made its presence count at the 2017 African Para Taekwondo Open as the two-man contingent claimed two medals at the two-day championship.

    According to the Secretary General of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Oriss Taiwo, the athletes showed their stuff against their African counterparts to lay claim to the gold medals in the men’s 44kg and 62kg.

    Samson Ukpera who competed in the men’s 44kg was in fine form to win the highest medal at the championship while Faith Bazuaye featured in the women’s 62kg and she fought her way to the final to clinch the gold medal.

    This feat was described as a lift to para taekwondo in Nigeria as this would give the athletes the chance to improve their world rating.

    “This is indeed a big feat for Nigeria because these two athletes has now put Nigeria on the world map with their performance and their ranking will surely move up. Prior to the tournament, Nigeria female team was rated fifth while our male was 11th and I am sure with their performance in Rwanda, they will surely improve and move up the ranking,” Taiwo said.

    The scribe further said that there are plans to include the event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, adding that the top 10 athletes in the world would get automatic qualification to the Olympic Games. “We hope with this kind of competition, our athletes can make the top 10 and we believe with more competition, they can make the top 10 in the world in their various weight categories.

    Taiwo however, disclosed that Nigeria would not be featuring in this week’s World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-sanctioned President Cup Africa holding in Agadir, Morocco on April 7 to 9.

  • THE PRESIDENT NIGERIA TAEKWONDO NEEDS

    THE PRESIDENT NIGERIA TAEKWONDO NEEDS

    Nigeria Taekwondo failed to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in this last Olympic cycle in addition to winning only one gold medal at the last 2015 All African Games. Prior to this period, we had qualified at every Olympic qualification event attended and the last time we picked up only a solitary gold medal at the All African games was twenty-six years ago in Cairo. For decision makers at the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports, this was enough to strike the sport off its top seven list.

    Thus, when I was asked a few days ago how Nigeria Taekwondo could ensure that it performs at the Lusaka 2019 AAG and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, my immediate response was that it is dependent on the leadership in place. This is why it is important to ensure that the right kind of President is elected during the upcoming elections.

    In my opinion, here is the kind of President that the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation [NTF] needs.

    One; an Action NTF President.
    It is not enough to say the right things and paint the perfect picture. There is a drawn-out and challenging distance between source and destination that demands action. For example, getting a constitution passed by congress; building strong national senior and junior teams; developing policies that strengthens state associations who in turn ensure the grassroots sports development of the sport etc.

    Two; a Team Player NTF President
    The board is the authority mandated to govern and develop policies for the sport over a four-year period. A team-player NTF President would take his/her board along in the process of decision-making. Given the various constituencies that make up the board, a team-player NTF President would ensure that the unique experiences and strengths of the board is brought into play to push the sport forward.

    Three; a generous NTF President
    It is tough to secure funding for Nigeria Taekwondo. It has always been, it still is. The next Nigeria Taekwondo Federation President should have a financial plan on how exactly funding will be secured over the next four years. Cries of “there is no money” and blaming the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports must not come into play.

    During the several months it would take to implement the financial plan, a generous SF President should be naturally prepared to foot the bills or inspire his/her board to foot basic bills i.e. ensuring that the Federation secretariat is functional. It can be puzzling how a secretariat can ground to a halt because no one wanted to pay for the monthly internet, fuel for the generator or buy printer ink and paper.

    Four; a courageous and realistic NTF President
    Nigeria Taekwondo has too many dynamics and factions. On one hand, it is important that the NTF President knows and understands all these dynamics, factions and persons involved. On the other hand, it is more critical that the NTF President has the courage to sail the Olympic sport into the future regardless of the resistance from the strong winds presented by many of these dynamics and factions.

    Five; a Fair NTF President
    National Programs that are done by the Federation must be fairly distributed across the six regions over a four-year period.

    Six; an Accountable NTF President.
    An Accountable President would ensure that there is financial and operational accountability and transparency. Every single kobo that passes through the Federation should be accounted for. Situations where athletes and coaches pay for a National Insurance I.D Scheme without getting the service or refunds must be avoided at all cost in the next Olympic cycle. For every program that is set on the calendar, there must be an account on whether the program met pre-determined goals and learning points should be noted.

    Seven; a Data-Driven NTF President
    Nigeria Taekwondo has no official database. We really do not know and cannot effectively estimate how many people practice Taekwondo in Nigeria. This has ensured that we have lost talents and revenue. The next NTF President should be able to set up a structure that can capture, permanently store and update this info. Knowing our numbers will give the Federation a peculiar strength and help it design and implement more effective and targeted policies.

    Eight; a Global NTF President
    The next NTF President must have the charisma, recognisability and clout to be embraced by the Africa Taekwondo Union, World Taekwondo Federation and the many other global institutions. In the next four years, more in-roads must be made into these bodies.

    If Nigeria Taekwondo wants to regain a front seat, and have the kind of success currently enjoyed by the Table Tennis, Basketball and Wrestling, it is critical that the right kind of President steps into the role for the next four years.

  • NTF boss lauds Korean Embassy’s partnership

    NTF boss lauds Korean Embassy’s partnership

    The President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF),George Ashiru,on Tuesday, said that the just concluded Korean Ambassador’s Taekwondo Cup, had helped the body to identify budding talents for future competitions.

    The Korean Embassy sponsored the event held from Dec. 8 to Dec. 10 at the Molade Okoya Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

    No fewer than 309 athletes participated in the NTF approved competition, which was hosted by the Lagos State Taekwondo Association, in which the athletes featured in fights and demonstrations event.

    Ashiru said the athletes performed brilliantly in their various weight categories and fought in accordance with the current rules.

    He added that the latest electronic devices were used for scoring, while well-informed referees, officiated at the competition.

    “This is another big competition for us, its standard usually prepare athletes to pick slots in their weights, which also creates good platform to identify competent athletes for national trials.

    “The performance by outstanding athletes in this competition has provided records that can be used to invite athletes to defend the titles during national trials.

    “Next year, we have world championships and other continental competitions, so winners in the male and female categories stand chances to pick slots.

    “It was indeed a successful performance, the use of standard electronic devices made the officiating free and fair and both the athletes, fans and officials were satisfied,” he said.

    In the same vein, Koffi Anani, a World Taekwondo Federation graded referee, commended the LSTA for a well-organised and hitch-free event.

    Anani said that he was also impressed by the manner in which the athletes and coaches conducted themselves during the three-day competition.

    “A big kudos to the LSTA, they have really proved the excellence in the Lagos State logo; the hall was very conducive, there was maximum security and there was no case of fight or theft.

    “The technical officials had a refreshers course to herald this competition, and it actually reflected in the performances of athletes under the supervision of the officials.

    “Everything about this competition is commendable, even the federation went an extra mile by accommodating 150 of the athletes free-of-charge,” he said.

    Josephine Esuku, a-46kg medalist in individual poomsae (demonstration) event at the competition, applauded the Korean Embassy for its sponsorship and sustenance of the event.

    Esuku said the competition had contributed immensely to the development of her career since she started competing in 2009.

    “The Korean Embassy has remained dedicated to the growth of Taekwondo in this country, its sponsorship has been consistent and many of us have benefited from it.

    “I am happy to be identified with this competition, and every edition has added value to my Taekwondo career, which has helped me to compete at international championships.’’

    Samsideen Oseni, an Ogun State Coach, won the overall best coach.

    Nelson Oluigbo came out as the overall best referee of the tournament alongside winners of gold, silver and bronze medals at various events.

  • Nigeria missing at World Junior Taekwondo Championships

    Nigeria missing at World Junior Taekwondo Championships

    As most of the power-houses as well as developing countries in Africa present at the 2016 World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Canada, Nigeria is conspicuously missing among the participating nations at the five-day tournament.
    African top teams like Egypt, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire and Mali were competing at the championship while developing nations like Rwanda and Botswana also featured with the two nations getting scholarships to support their athletes in readiness for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
    With the curtains drawn on the championship at the weekend, the world taekwondo ruling body believes the tournament serves as roadmap to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan and when the African top nations are availing themselves of the opportunity to present athletes for the championship, Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) is still in the woods, as the federation is still awaiting support from the Ministry of youth and Sports to kick-start their programme.
    According to the WTF President Chungwon Choue “I am happy to be here in the wonderful city of Burnaby, with its warm welcome,” said Choue. “The junior championships are the roadmap to the 2020 Olympic Games: You are the future of taekwondo.”
    The 2016 World Taekwondo Junior Championships will be the 11 edition of the Championships, which are held every two years. This event featured five days of competition involving some of the best young taekwondo athletes from around the world. Traditionally South Korea, Russia, Chinese Taipei, China, Great Britain, France and Mexico are significant powerhouses in Taekwondo, producing top performances and Olympic Champions.
    The top five national places in the championships went to Iran, Chinese Taipei, Russia, Turkey, and Korea in the female division. In the male division, the top five nations were Korea, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Chinese Taipei.
    Canada’s Skylar Park (-59kg) was named female MVP; the male MVP award went to Korea’s Chan-Ho Jung (-55kg). The Best Coach award in the female division was won by Fatemeh Safarpour from Iran; in the male division it was won by Jung-ho Kim of Korea. The Best Referee awards were given to Yassin Abdullah ai Naimat from Jordan, Eid Fairouz Mesmari from UAE, Panikos Loizou from Cyprus, and Eric Wah from Canada and Guler Gencturkoglu from Turkey. The Good Fighting Spirit Award was won by Brazil, while the Active Participation Award was won by Australia. Over 800 athletes between the ages of 14 to 17 competed in 10 weight divisions for both males and females.

  • Nigeria misses out from taekwondo wildcard of Rio Olympics

    Nigeria may have missed out from the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) wildcard after the world taekwondo ruling body made known the list of nations for the wildcard slots.

    It would be recalled that the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) said they would apply for wildcard after the four-man team to the continental qualifiers in Morocco failed to win a slot to Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

    However, NationSport leaned on Thursday via MasTaekwondo website that WTF has announced Haiti, Nepal, Honduras and Somalia as winners of the wildcard as defined by the Tripartite Commission of Olympic Games.

    According to the website, the four wildcards to Río 2016 Olympic were defined at the preparation Camp of the Olympics Games, in South Korea.

    According to the document scooped by Mas Taekwondo, the weights to each team were: Haiti, in -67kg women, Nepal, in +67kg women, Honduras, in -80kg men, and Somalia, in -58kg men.

    Also the athletes’ names are Faisal Jeylani Aweys of Somalia, Aniya Louissant of Haití, Nisha Rawal of Nepal and Miguel of Honduras. The weight distribution was made by Brazil the host of the Olympic Games which chose the remaining four weights.

    Meanwhile, WTF has confirmed 124 athletes from 60 nations for Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.

    In Africa, 11 countries produced the 19 athletes that will compete at the Rio Olympics while Nigeria will be conspicuously missing being the first time the West African giant will not be competing at the Olympic Games since 2004 in Athens, Greece.