Abuja – Twelve taekwondo students from the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF) are now at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria for a three-day intensive training in the sport.
Chika Chukwumerije, founder of CCSF, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja that the idea behind the programme was to groom athletes at a young age.
“It is to begin an early integration of secondary school students into the university games.’’
He said the training programme, holding between Friday and Sunday, would see the students who left from Abuja training with the ABU taekwondo team.
NAN reports that the ABU team is being coached by Sani Lawal, a three-time Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) champion.
“We are trying to achieve inspiration and real knowledge that will make them champions tomorrow, because we have just entered a new phase.
“These secondary school students are the first batch of our trainees who will soon enter the university because they are about writing their final secondary school examination.
“This means that they are about entering the university. So, we want to link them with the universities they are going to be in the nearest future.
“There has to be a link and exposure of the students to the university taekwondo team to enable them get inspiration for the university games and as well know how to combine sports with education,’’ Chukwumerije said.
He said the training, which would touch on different areas, including first aid, refereeing, event management, fitness training, video analysis, taekwondo basics and competing session, is expected to be exhaustive.
Chukwumerije also said the students would engage the university taekwondo team in a combat using the electronic system.
He said the foundation would in the next three years seek more collaboration with universities which are friendly with sports to enrol these students, because the NUGA gold medal would be important to them (universities).
“We will encourage these athletes to do well in their WAEC and JAMB exams, so that they can qualify to be admitted by these universities.
“When they can do well in their education and they get into these universities, we can follow up on their progress.
“This is to ensure that when they are in the national team, we will not have problem with transition of athletes,’’ the 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medallist said.
Chukwumerije also said CCSF was in search of coaches with similar experience with coach Lawal of ABU to help in the development of the game in various universities.
He applauded the coach’s pedigree and international coaching certification which he acquired from Kyonggi University in South Korea.(NAN)
