OVER 120 Taekwondo instructors, referees and coaches
attended the four-day international master’s instructors and two-day
international Hammdang Referees course held at the main bowl of the Teslim
Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The attendees include former Exco Board Member of the
Nigerian Taekwondo Federation and immediate past chairman of the Lagos State
Taekwondo Association, Tayo Popoola, Chairman of the Lagos State Taekwondo
Association Jimmy Ogunowo, Emmanuel Peters (First Nigerian to win an Olympic
medal), Uzoma Onwucheka (President Nigerian Taekwondo Black Belt College, Seun
Ajomale, Dimeji Ogunowo, Ferguson Oluigbo and Yemi Adeyemi among others.
Chairman of the Lagos State Taekwondo Association, Jimmy
Ogunowo, said the programme is aimed at developing Taekwondo from the grassroot
level, and that was why the Lagos State Taekwondo Association cashed in on the
just concluded Hammdang Taekwondo championship held in Calabar, the Cross River
State capital to invite the first United Kingdom based Taekwondo 9th Dan Black Belt holder, Grandmaster Tony Hohra, an
all round martial Artist who started his Taekwondo trade in 1978 and became a
world class professional instructor in 1982 to come and lecture the people.
Ogunowo described Taekwondo as dynamic and living sport
that changes on daily bases hence the need for Nigerian practitioners to adjust
to the new tactics and rules governing the game.
“We must upgrade our knowledge and be on the same page
with the rest of the world if we must continue to practice taekwondo and remain
in the Martial Arts,” he said.
Speaking after participating in the programme, Tayo
Popoola who is known as the power house of Lagos State taekwondo, said the time
has come for Lagos State to reclaim her number one position in Nigeria
taekwondo and that informs the round the clock programme of action embarked on
by the state as could be seen with the just concluded International
Masters/International Referees course.
Meanwhile, the international instructor, Grandmaster Tony
Vohra who was sent by the world Kukkiwon body from Korea, who is visiting
Nigeria for the first time in his life, said he is indeed overwhelmed by the
enthusiasm and passion shown by Nigerians and prays that he gets a second
chance for another visit to Nigeria for the programme.
Tony Vohra confessed that Nigeria has the potentials to
rule the world in Taekwondo sport, but quick to add that the local instructors,
coaches and administrators must keep upgrading themselves if the country must
achieve that.
He described Taekwondo as one sport in martial Arts
family that encourages an all round human development at all levels to the
extent of helping a growing child to realize his professional life ambition.
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