NAN-S-3
Taekwondo
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, Jan. 14, 2017 (NAN) Emmanuel Oghenejobo, President, Agoma Martial Art Sports Festival, says the 16th edition of the festival will hold in Kano due to the popularity of taekwondo in the northern part of the country..
Oghenejobo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos that the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) approved championship, to be hosted by the Kano State Sports Council, will hold from May 10 to 13.
“Martial art sports is gaining ground in the north but championships are not as regular there, so I want to use this year’s edition to encourage the athletes.
“I understand the athletes prepared to feature in the last edition held in Lagos but they could not due to lack of finance.
“This is going to be the first time that Agoma will stage the festival in the north and we expect a tremendous turn-out because they have been yearning for it,’’ he said.
Besides, he said the turn-out of participants from the south in previous editions had been poor, hence the choice of the Kano venue.
He said that the current Electronic Score Device (ESD), to be supervised by certified taekwondo referees and judges, would be used during the championship.
NAN reports that the Agoma Martial Art Sports Festival was established in 2001 by Oghenejobo, a 1992 Sidney Olympic Silver Medalist in taekwondo.
He had produced taekwondo stars that represented the country at major continental and intercontinental games.
One of them is Isah Adam, who represented the country at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Adam reached the quarterfinals of the men’s featherweight (-68 kg) competition.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he also competed in the Men’s 68 kg competition but lost in the first round (NAN)
MIL/JI/ASH
Editing by Joseph Idika