Foundation Upgrades Taekwondo Athletes

Nine taekwondo athletes
from the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF), were recently upgraded from white to yellow belt after they made distinctions in their grade test.
Two female and seven male athletes participated in the practical and theoretical test which saw the least person score 75 points, while the highest was 93 points.
The male athletes are Dickson Adoga, Peter Itiku, Precious Benson, Ebuka Diala, Ebuka Obodo, Daniel Ibrahim and Joseph Awolope, while the female athletes are Joy Ikpeamaeze and Bukola Ogunnusi.
Founder of the foundation Chika Chukwumerije, told newsmen that the athletes were gradually becoming world beaters.
“In my years of taekwondo experience, I have realised that the most challenging period in taekwondo lies in the white, yellow and blue belt stages.
“These stages are very key in the lives of any taekwondo athletes.
“Once you can get these first three belts right, you will definitely be a champion in the making.
“We did not use the curriculum that was in use in the past 40 years in the way we have trained them.
“This is because things are so fast now and so many things are put into one.
“What they learnt now is what those in brown or a red belt will learn, so we have simplified it to their level and we have exposed them to a wild range of techniques.
“In addition to this, we have added things that are not conventional like event management and language courses’’, Chukwumerije said.
Chukwumerije said the athletes were combining taekwondo with their education which he said was the foundation of the sport.
One of the graduates, Dickson Adoga, said that they were being trained to take over from the likes of Chukwumerije.
“We are champions in the making and Nigeria will not regret having athletes like us’’, he said.
Adoga emerged as the best graduating athlete after he amassed 93 points in test.
Certificates were presented to the nine athletes.
The Chairman of the FCT Taekwondo Association Tony Anafulu, and John Victor, were among the instructors and technical persons that assessed the athletes.