Sports
Medallist Lauds CCSF, FCT Taewondo Programme
The joint training programme by the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation(CCSF) and the FCT Taekwondo Association has helped train 151 young Nigerian and foreign athletes in the art of taekwondo.
2008 Olympics bronze medallist Chika Chukwumerije, the founder of CCSF, said on Saturday in Abuja the programme had also helped to boost Nigeria’s global relevance in the game.
Chukwumerije spoke with newsmen at the end of the two-day programme tagged “CCSF Grassroots Sports Development’’ which had male and female athletes participating.
The programme, which was in its second edition and which was run alongside a competition for the participants, featured 150 Nigerians and one Ivorian.
Chukwumerije said the programme was meant to expose young athletes in Africa, especially Nigeria, to the taekwondo game and its current rules.
“This competition is basically to expose the upcoming athletes to the game of taekwondo. So, national team members or those that have been to national camps were disqualified from this event.
“ This is to ensure that upcoming athletes have the opportunity to gain confidence. They can meet at other competitions but not at the grassroots programme.
“We are exposing them to standard gear being used at the grand-prix and other world events. They tie white belts as beginners before advancing to black belt.
“Their exposure should not begin when they are in black belt. They should start from white belt, so that when they get to limelight, the country will have solid representatives,’’ he said.
Speaking also, Chairman of FCT Taekwondo Association, Tony Anafulu, said the event was also to serve as a role model to other states in the country.
“We are using this event to serve as a pattern for other state associations to emulate.
“There is need to keep the youths busy and harness their positive engagements. Sports is a good means of doing that.
“We need to organise more of this type of event because the future of taekwondo in the country is at stake,” he said.
Tidesports source reports that pupils and students at various levels of education from 13 states in the country, including the FCT, participated in the event.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
-
Featured5 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News5 days ago
RSG Reaffirms Commitment To Quality Education
-
Niger Delta5 days agoFubara Charges Graduands On Discipline, Professionalism … As IAUE Holds 44th Convoc
-
News3 hours agoFG To Unveil Radio Station For Adult Education
-
News3 hours agoAfenifere Raises Alarm Over Attacks On Oyo Schools …Says Yorubaland Now Under Siege
-
News3 hours agoFubara, Wife Hail Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative …As Over 6,800 Families Benefit From Largesse In Rivers
-
News3 hours agoIsaac Boro Memorial: N’Delta Still Bleeds For Justice -MOSIEND
-
News2 hours agoRSG Commends Anglican Church’s Contributions To State’s Dev