International Taekwondo course ends in Lagos
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 Board Member of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) 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, Nigeria 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 grassroots level, and that was why the Lagos State Taekwondo Association cashed in on the just concluded Hammdang Taekwondo Championship held in Calabar, to invite the first United Kingdom-based Taekwondo 9th Dan Black Belt holder, Grandmaster Tony Vohra, 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 them.
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.
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.
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.
