Nigeria Secures Early Medals At African Championships

Nigeria Secures Early Medals At African Championships

By Niyi Busari 

President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Grand Master Tayo Popoola, has commended Team Nigeria’s performance at the ongoing African Taekwondo Championships in Bamako, Mali, describing the athletes’ showing as encouraging and reflective of their determination and quality, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Speaking from the Malian capital, Popoola said the championship has lived up to expectations, with competitors from across Africa demonstrating exceptional technical ability and competitive spirit.

According to the NTF president, Nigeria has already secured notable success in the competition, winning medals in both the Kyorugi and Para Taekwondo events.

“The championship is still ongoing, and we have recorded two bronze medals in Kyorugi through Jordan Joel in the heavyweight (+87kg) category and Chidinma Okoko in the women’s -62kg division. We also secured a gold medal through Ability Matthews Udom in the men’s -57kg Para event,” Popoola said.

She reserved special praise for Jordan Joel, whose bronze-medal performance came in his debut appearance at the African Championships.

“Jordan Joel is competing in his first African Championship and had to face several Olympic and World Championship medalists. For him to win a bronze medal under those circumstances speaks volumes about his courage, resilience, and potential for future success,” she added.

Popoola also highlighted the high standard of competition, noting that more than 35 countries are participating in the championship, making the battle for medals particularly demanding.

“This is a major championship with over 35 countries in attendance. Many nations arrived with large contingents of athletes, including several international tournament champions. The level of competition is extremely high, but our athletes have performed admirably and I am confident they will continue to make Nigeria proud,” she said.

With the Kyorugi events approaching their conclusion, attention is now turning to the Poomsae competition, where Popoola believes Nigeria has a strong chance of adding to its medal haul.

“We are still competing in the Poomsae events and we are hopeful of securing medals in different categories. I have confidence in our athletes and believe they can further improve Nigeria’s position on the medal table,” she stated.

As of Tuesday evening in Bamako, Team Nigeria had amassed an impressive medal tally at the championships, winning two gold and three bronze medals, with hopes of increasing that number before the competition concludes.Note: There is a numerical discrepancy in the original copy. It states Nigeria had won “a total of four medals” but later says the tally stood at “two gold and three bronze medals,” which equals five medals. You may want to verify the correct figure before publication.