8 athletes to represent Nigeria at African Senior Taekwondo Championship – Official

The championship, which will run from May 6 to May 8, will see four officials joining the athletes to make the Nigerian contingent 12.

The Secretary, Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Sunny Obot, said on Friday that eight athletes would represent Nigeria at the African Senior Taekwondo Championship in Tunisia.

The championship, which will run from May 6 to May 8, will see four officials joining the athletes to make the Nigerian contingent 12.

Mr. Obot told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the championship would serve as a stepping stone for the athletes in their buildup to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

“At the moment the athletes are in open camp; we will be participating with eight athletes – six men and two ladies and then four officials will join them.

“The National Sports Commission has said it that there are some sports apart from football they are going to look at so that they can improve in their participation in all ramifications. And taekwondo is one of them.

“Our preparation towards the Rio 2016 Olympics is this African competition we are planning for; so the National Sports Commission sees it as criteria for our participation.

“The tournament itself is a tournament that is going to give our athletes points that will be accumulated to make them qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics.”

The secretary said that the competition would serve as a platform through which the athletes could accumulate points to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

(NAN)