German Embassy Grants Visa To Nigerian Taekwondo Team.

The German Embassy has rescinded their decision not to grant visa to national taekwondo team as the mission yesterday granted visa to the team to embark on training tour of Europe. 

The international training tour is part of the build up to the 2015 All Africa Games and 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.

The eight-man team made up of Segun Olushola (-68kg male), Sunday Onofe (-80kg male), Uche Chukwumerije (-87kg male), Joy Ekhator (-49kg male], John Victor [Coach], Ekundayo Ogunkunle [physiotherapist], Joyce Ezeala [Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Secretary General) and Chika Chukwumerije, Chief Executive Officer, CCSF and Organiser.

 An elated Coach Victor said: “The trip was going to be eventful and open the athletes to a new wave of fighting. It would help them improve and make them believe in themselves. 

The confidence built through this trip will force the athletes set higher targets for themselves”. 

  He further added, that being a coach, the trip would open his eyes to what it took to be an international coach, and that the knowledge gained would help him turn grassroots champions into international champions”

19-year old Segun Olushola, a gold medallist at the last National Sports Festival, was very excited at his very first chance of travelling out of the country and relished the experience that he would gain during the International training camp, noting that “it would expand his taekwondo knowledge”.

Bronze Medallist at the 2011 All Africa Games in Mozambique, Onofe chose to focus on the effect the trip would have on his future performance at international tournaments. 

“I want to take a look at how they train there, and then study the difference between their training and ours. 

This might improve my chance of doing well at the world championships later this year. I also look forward to the competitions during the training camp. I want to see how I would cope at that level.

  However, Ekhator was more eager about being ready for the world championships later this year. Unbeaten in the past six years nationally and Nigeria’s number one in the flyweight division, was still smarting from losing out in the semi-finals stages during the qualification both London 2012 and Beijing 2008 Olympics. 

 The police officer vowed to gain experience on this trip that would increases her chance of bettering her two African Games medals (silver at AAG 2007 and Bronze at AAG 2011), and qualifying for the RIO 2016.

  Segun Olushola thanked the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF) for giving them the opportunity to develop as career taekwondo athletes, and hoped that more exposures were planned for young athletes around the country.

 For Beijing 2008 Olympics medallist and Team Nigeria captain to the 2012 London Olympics Chika Chukwumerije, who is the organizer of the trip, he thanked the German Embassy for overturning their decision, after reviewing further documents submitted to convince them that this team was focused and well intentioned.

  “I am very happy that the German Embassy overturned their decision. It is a happy day for Taekwondo, especially the up-coming ones, who can have hope that if they continue working hard at training, and being honest, they stand a real chance of getting opportunities like this. The team will depart on Wednesday evening. 

They have lost 2 days of the 24-day camp, but I am hopeful that the experience these athletes gained will come in handy in AAG 2015 and RIO 2016. The athletes will also transfer knowledge to their fellow elite athletes during the 2^nd CCSF Elite Training Camp that will be held at the end of June 2013,” he said.

  “I once again emphasis my determination to plead the cause of athletes while I am on the Taekwondo board. We must expand the opportunities available to our young and talented athletes, so they will not be lured by the vicious cycle of visa racketeering. In addition, athletes that  

I really hope that viable sponsors join us in this fight. 

This year only, I am planning 3 or 4 more trips to expose even more youngsters. That way, these youngsters will run to legit bodies that are actually interested in their welfare. My foundation will continue to assist these young athletes by creating more of these opportunities.  

  The CCSF boss also lauded National Sports Commission (NSC) for sponsoring the well-packaged Elite Training program.

He said: The NSC has been very helpful and supportive. I cannot express my gratitude enough, and I hope that these youngsters will respond to this support by performing well at international tournaments in the coming four years.”