The board of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) has approved 32 programs for the year 2020. According to the Technical Director NTF, Engineer Chika Chukwumerije, the COVID-19 has hamstrung the NTF initial plans for their national & grassroots development of Taekwondo in the country.
The Olympic bronze medallist told www.aclsports.com that as an Olympic sport and martial arts, they are determined to meet this present challenge as one Taekwondo family armed with the tenets that so uniquely defines the sport.
He said, “Last week, the Board of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation held its first Board Meeting via Zoom, chaired by the President NTF, Margaret Binga. 11 members of the 14-member board were present, including the secretary-General of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Yusuf Kabir.
“This was the first official meeting the Board is holding since the covid-19 grounded the world to a halt. We last met just before the Olympic qualification tournament in February, and so much had happened since then.
“Even though you might not have known, we have 32 programs that were approved for this year – programs that covered tournaments for seniors, juniors, cadets and kiddies, as well as workshops that would have empowered coaches and referees across our six geo-political zones with vital knowledge.
He added “It is true that Covid-19 has hamstrung our initial plans for our national and grassroots development of our beloved sports, but we never stopped thinking about innovative ways to meet this challenge.
“On Thursday, 18th June 2020, the board will be having a follow-up board meeting, where we expect a drastically updated national calendar of programs that takes into consideration the world’s new reality, to be deliberated on and approved”.
