Nigeria athlete  Josephine Esuku has crashed out of the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships (WTC) which began in Muju, South Korea on Saturday, after losing 6-15 to her opponent from Azerbaijan.
Tidesports source gathered  that the number 24 seed, fighting in the women’s  -46 kg category on the championships’ opening day, lost to Safiye Polat.
Taiwo Oriss, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), who accompanied the Nigerian team to the competition, told newsmen  the team was still hopeful of winning medals at the championships.
“Though we lost in our first outing, but we are still hopeful of getting medals in the competition as other athletes from Nigeria are still going to participate,” he said.
Commenting also, Esuku said while it was unfortunate that the preliminary round bout was her only fight in the competition, it was still a worthwhile attempt.
“It was a good fight. I have however picked some lessons from that, which will be useful in my subsequent fights.
“The Korea Open is coming up next month and I hope to correct my mistakes through that competition,” she said.
Tidesports gathered  that the Korea Open holds from July 2 to July 5.
Also, Chinazum Nwosu failed to hold her own on Tuesday, crashing out in the Round of 16 of her event at the 2017 WTF World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, South Korea.
Nwosu, who is ranked 46 by the World Taekwondo, the sport’s world body, lost 1-19 to the number three-ranked Tatiana Kudashova of Russia in the women’s -53 kg category.
Tidesports source gathered  that the 22-year-old had earlier in the day advanced from the Round of 64 after her opponent, Mary Maina of Kenya, was disqualified.
She went on to beat the number 41-ranked Awa Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire 4-3 in the Round of 32, before losing to Kudashova.