2018 Benjing Bronze medallist, Chika Chukwumerije(OLY) has hailed National champion, Elizabeth Anyanacho for her display at the just concluded 2019 Turkish Open.
The Turkish Open Taekwondo Tournament was held in Antalya, Turkey from 13th to 16 February, 2019.
Chukwumerije told www.aclsports.com that Anyanacho is a natural talent and one of the beat athletes in recent times.
He said, “Elizabeth Anyanacho is a natural talent from the body physic to her mental strength. Certainly, this is one of the best talents I have seen in recent times in Nigeria Taekwondo and over the past two year, she has been winning a lot.
“Even though she is just a red belt, she is still a baby gulp; she has consistently defeated national champions; winning gold in Ghana and Senegal”.
The two times Olympian said all what Anyanacho need to become a world beater is to attend tournaments in Europe where a she can fight with the best athletes in her weight class.
The 2007 All Africa Games gold medallist said, “I knew that after two years of winning, I needed to bring her out from the swimming pool to the ocean where she fit but she has to go through the fire of meeting top athletes in the world, learning from the experienced.
So, that is why I brought her to the Turkish Open in Europe. We could have gone to International events where I knew she could have won gold but I said no; I am going her to Europe where I know she will meet very developed, top and the best because I needed her to taste what the top in her weight are like”.
He further said, “I was very happy in the first fight; she beat Turkey 17-0 and the opponent withdrew, her talent was so visible and in her second fight she encountered the number 5 in the world and the first round was even 6-5 and after that she made a couple of mistakes that comes from inexperience.
“She met the gold medallist at the grand prix and the former world junior champion but I was very happy she was courageous throughout the fights, kept attacking but the moment when she was not attacking; I think she switched off and that made the difference which the opponent capitalised on”.
Chukwumerije told www.aclsports.com that Anyanacho will attend the Egypt Open this week advising top ranked athletes in the country to gain exposure ahead of the 2019 All Africa Games.
“This week, Anyanacho will be at the Egypt Open but the target is gold at the All Africa Games both for her and other top ranked athletes in the country. Right now, I will encourage them to look for ways to gain the exposure they need to get so that they can go ahead to win gold for Nigeria.
“All this is exposure, Anyanacho first sojourn in Europe was good. She got in a very good match beating Turkey and losing to Croatia. In the next one week, we will work a lot on something I needed her to do because she did not even get out from gear one, she was still testing the ground, new experience, environment, too many foreigners that she was not used to. She had the composure and power all she needs is the experice and allow the talent just be fully released”, he ended.
