Tag: Taekwondo

World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-certified referees from Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Niger Republic, Mali and Senegal are expected to handle proceedings at the 3rd Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF) International Opens holding next week in Abuja.

According to the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the tournament, the referees are expected to arrive in Nigeria on October 22 to team up with their Nigerian counterparts at the two-day competition scheduled for October 24 to 25 at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

The Founder of CCSF, Chika Chukwumerije said the presence of the international referees once confirmed the quality of the tournament coupled with the aim of making the championship a WTF-graded event in 2016.

Meanwhile, over 300 athletes across Africa are taking part in the competition with new equipment expected to be deployed for the tournament.

“At this year’s CCSF Opens, there are lots of innovation and first is the technology being used – the Daedo Electronic Head Gear. The 1st edition of this tournament was the first tournament ever in Nigeria to used the Daedo Electronic Body gear, which inspired all other tournaments to follow suit in Nigeria. Now this will be the first event in Africa to use the Electronic Head Gear. This gear was not even used in the just concluded All Africa Games. Thus, the fact that we are using the latest technology is a huge pull for Africa countries, especially given the fact that the Olympic qualification tournament to be held in February 2016 in Morocco will be using this same equipment,” Chukwumerije said.

The Beijing Olympics bronze medalist added: “The event is coming just a month after the African Games, so it would be great to see how newly crowned African Champions fare in this tournament. I think there will be some major upsets that will get the Africa Taekwondo community buzzing.

Also, the entire ambience of the competition venue will be such that persons who have never seen or done taekwondo before will have a lot to talk about long after the event is finished. I think the ambience of diversity of activities planned around the hall will be major talking point for spectators and participants alike.”

For now over eight countries including tertiary institutions, states, para military and clubs have confirmed their participation at the two-day tournament with over 300 athletes expected to jostle for honours and cash prizes.

Among the nations already confirmed are Ghana, Gabon, Togo, Niger Republic, Congo Brazzaville and Mali while entries being expected from Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Chad, Central Africa and Ethiopia.

Impressed with the string of successes recorded by taekwondo this year, Minister of Sports/Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Tammy Danagogo has admitted that the sport has medals’ potential for the country at major competitions.

Speaking at the 5th Korean Ambassador’s Cup held in Lagos, the minister confessed that he has been thrilled with the result posted by the sport in 2014.

“Even before my assumption of office, I knew and I have come to know that taekwondo is one sport in which Nigeria has lots of potential and I am really impressed and elated that every effort is being made by the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), government at all levels particularly the states and as well as the federal government and of course private individuals and corporate entities to ensure that we harness this talent for future podium performance,” he said.

He, however, reaffirmed the support of NSC to the taekwondo federation in their quest to do well at international tournaments.

For the victorious Commonwealth Championships team, Danagogo said: “Hosting of the team by the President is one of those things that certainly must happen. You know they are not alone because it is a very busy season, even the Super Falcons that won the African Women Championship (AWC) are there; we presented their cup to the President but we are yet to host them. We have the scrabble team that won the African Championship and now we also have the taekwondo team that did so well at the Commonwealth Championship in Scotland, they came out fourth in the Commonwealth and that is no mean feat because that is our best performance so far. We certainly will honour them. But one thing the ministry believes in and Mr. President has always supported and encouraged is that you always encourage excellence and we certainly will do that.”

On the build up to the All Africa Games and Olympics, the NSC boss said: “We have already told the federation and of course I will reiterate it that every federation should come with their programmes. As a ministry, we try not to personally do these things and these federations are like our parastatals and we have given them directives to come up with their programmes because there is no way that you can win without preparation. The difference between most of these boys and girls who are all champions and the eventual winners is that extra effort, that extra preparation and the only way we can have that is when our federations come up with their programmes as early as possible. I think this is another opportunity for me to call on all federations to ensure that they come up with their programmes as quickly as possible so that we don’t start running helter-skelter just a month to the competition.

He added: “This has been the bane of this country because it is a nation blessed with abundant talents in almost all the sporting events but a lot of times nothing is happening until few days or few weeks to the event and that does not augur well for our system. If you prepare well, certainly you will see the difference and that is where we stand as a ministry.”

To ensure a good outing at the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Grand Prix holding in Manchester this month, Beijing Olympics bronze medalist, Chika Chukwumerije has intensified training ahead of the tourney in Abuja.

The Team Nigeria captain to the London 2012 Olympic Games told NationSport yesterday that he is perfecting his skills to ensure he impresses at the tournament.

“I train regularly now and I must ensure I do well to be able to garner points for the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil. There is no doubt that it is going to be a tough competition as the world’s best are expected to compete at the tournament holding at the Manchester Central Convention Complex in the United Kingdom (UK) on October 24 to 26. I am getting in shape and I hope to be in top form for the event, which is a massive point-hauling championship in the calendar of the WTF,” he said.

Chukwumerije missed from the China Grand Prix but was able to feature in the Kazakhstan Grand Prix, which ensured his final listing in the top 32 athletes that will compete in the men’s +87kg of the championship.

To make it to the last 16 in Kazakhstan last August, Chukwumerije defeated the inaugural Grand Prix finalist, and current 2014 Dutch Opens gold medalist, Guilherme Cezario Felix of Brazil, 8-1 in the opening round, before narrowly bowing to world number three, England’s Mahama Cho 3-5 in the last 16.

Ready for the task ahead in Manchester, he said: “It was critical I got enough momentum to make it to the next Grand Prix in Manchester. Now, I have to get myself back into the kind of shape I should be in, and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

The WTF Grand Prix, is the most interesting and competitive series on the WTF Calendar, and has had the taekwondo world buzzing since the inaugural edition in December 2013.

Only the world’s top 31 athletes in each weight category, based on their recent 2014 WTF Olympic ranking, are eligible for the tournament, and the Grand Prix series have a direct impact on qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics, as a massive 40 Olympic ranking points are at stake.

Oseni Shameed, a coach with the Lagos State Taekwondo Association (LSTA), on Thursday advised youths to take to the sport.

Shameed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that taekwondo should not be seen from the point of view of competition alone but was also good for self defence.

“I recommend taekwondo for our youths and the reason is that it tames their individual ways of life in any environment they find themselves.

“Even when one is attacked, you can bring your taekwondo skill to bear and defend yourself from being injured, so it is good for both male and female.

“It is also for youth empowerment in terms of pursing of a career. Today, Chika Chukwumerije is globally known because of his achievements in taekwondo,’’ he said.

According to him, the sport also helps to develop the intelligence quotient of practitioners because of the kind of training they receive from their coaches.

“ A taekwondoist cannot be said to be dull; they are active, smart and obedient. These attributes go a long way in improving their academic performance,’’ he said.

Shameed, however, urged school authorities to ensure that only seasoned coaches were allowed to nurture the wards.

“The background and grooming of the youths in taekwondo is very important, so school authorities must verify coaches’ records before giving them the opportunity of coaching in schools,’’ he said.

Foreign taekwondoists at the recently-concluded Lagos International Taekwondo Classics on Tuesday said that the competition had provided them a platform to excel at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The taekwondoists told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the competition had also assisted them to identify their weak areas and promised to improve on them before the Games.

Ismaila Garba, a bantamweight gold medallist at the competition from the Republic of Niger, said that the competition had helped to build on his experience in the game.

Garba added that the competition would also prepare him for other future international competitions where he said he was determined to also excel.

“It is an honour for me to have taken part in the classics because the experience I garnered here will prepare me for the Games and other international competitions,” he said.

Ali Suleiman, a welterweight fighter, also from the Republic of Niger, said that the classics exposed fighters from different parts of the continent to their individual strengths and weaknesses.

Suleiman noted that the competition also provided the platform for the international athletes to interact and exchange ideas.

Abdoulrazak Alfaga, a heavyweight fighter, also from the Republic of Niger, said that the classics had prepared him well for the Commonwealth Games and hoped to win a gold medal at the Games.

Alfaga said that it would do him and his country great pride if he could come out as a gold medallist in Glasgow.

Seydon Fofana, a bantamweight silver medallist from Mali, said that the classics had taught him not to underrate his opponents in any tournament, stressing that overconfidence was a weakness.

“I am a very confident person on the fighting mat, but overconfidence usually leads to one’s downfall,” he noted.

Charles Mouketou, a flyweight silver medalist from Gabon, said that the classics had improved his blocking tactics, while kicking to minimise counter attacks from an opponent.

Mouketou said that it was important for a fighter to block as he kicked, to prepare for an immediate attack from an opponent, in case the kick missed its target.

Bathy Tahirou from Cote d’Ivoire, said that with the new innovation he gained from the classics, he had concluded plans to organise a programme to improve the skills of his country’s upcoming athletes.

Tahirou noted that fighters from his country lacked some aggression which he said was a required ingredient in the art of fighting.