Taekwondo: Nigeria Set To Host The World

Ahead of the first ever Nigeria Taekwondo International Open, president of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Margaret E. Binga said the federation is fully ready to host the world.

The open sanctioned by the global taekwondo governing body (WTF)  is scheduled to take off inside the Velodrome of the Abuja National Stadium on Friday, February 8, 2019 and would climax on Sunday, February 10, 2019.

Recall that the World Taekwondo Federation had given the competition a G1 international ranking.

  Briefing newsmen yesterday, ahead of the event, NTF said the equipment and facilities to be used in the open will be in line with international best practices.

“All equipment and material to make this program remarkable are well in place, because we are in partnership with World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and they have been able to support this event with the latest equipment and gadgets worth over $8,000,” she said.

According to her, the country’s national team athletes will use the open to test their strength against their counterparts from across the world in preparation for the 2019 All African Games.

“G-1 ranking event is an event where athletes would compete and get ranking that would enable them to qualify for Olympics and also put them in taekwondo world ranking map.”

According to her, a total of 152 athletes from 16 countries will compete for laurels during the three – day event.

“We have 16 countries that have registered to participate in this historic event. A total of 152 participants, as well as 23 Nigerian clubs have registered for this event.

“Some of the countries like United States and Mali have arrived and we are expecting others before the opening day.”

   She added that the current leadership of NTF under her watch had invested up to $30,000 into the federation to bring it to limelight and called on corporate organisations and individuals to come into partnership with the federation to develop the sport in the country.

Nigeria will be vying for glories against household countries in the sports like Saudi Arabia, United States, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Oman, Senegal, Togo and Guadeloupe.