Missing WTF Grand Prix, a major setback to Nigeria’s qualification for Rio 2016 Olympics, says Chukwumerije

Missing WTF Grand Prix, a major setback to Nigeria’s qualification for Rio 2016 Olympics, says Chukwumerije

After missing out from the last World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Grand Prix in China, three-time Olympian, Chika Chukwumerije admits that this might affect the country’s chance of qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Excerpts.

What does missing the WTF Grand Prix mean to you personally?

Irrevocable loss of funds, time and hard work – with the first two being very limited resources.

What impact will it have on the country's chances of qualifying for the Rio Olympics?

Missing a G4 tournament is not funny at all, because winning it will send one up the charts by as much as 10 – 15 slots. It means we would have to invest more to win back those ranking points – that means more competitions to attend, extension of training time, increase in the mental and emotional stress that it takes to keep the focus.

  We cannot afford for our National Taekwondo athletes to miss the majors. Don’t miss the Africa Games, don’t miss the World Championships, don’t miss the Grand Prix, and do not miss the G-2s. If we do that and do relatively well, we will have 2 or 3 people automatically in the Olympics. It is that straightforward.

What is the implication of this on your career?

 After a decade of this up-hill battle, one feels like giving up. Probably Thomas Edison would frown and remind me of his words that, “many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up”, but it does not change how frustrating it gets to work so hard and feel like one’s efforts are being emptied into a black hole.

  It is demoralizing to compete against opponents who have committed resources – dedicated funds, dedicated training spaces, dedicated support training staff etc. We might be just as talented, but it is definitely not a level playing field.

   Nonetheless, I have shaken off the disappointment. There is a whole new generation of young taekwondo athletes coming up and being inspired. We must keep showing them the way through our examples, and the first example would be “never to give up even though the going is always tough”. We will keep working towards set goals one step at a time.

What is the response of WTF to your complaints?

The WTF did everything right – sent info on time, got Nigeria registered once we acknowledged on time, and provided the platform to engage the host organizers in order to participate. Thus, it was not an issue for the WTF. It was a mistake from the official representative of the China Taekwondo Association, and it won’t be fair to bring the WTF in on this. What has happened has happened; we can only learn from it and ensure it does not happen again.