60 Enugu taekwondo athletes undergo 7-day grading progamme

By Stanley Nwanosike

At least 60 taekwondo athletes are presently taking part in the ongoing taekwondo grading programme in Enugu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise is taking place at the Indoor Sports Complex of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

The seven-day programme is being supervised by Taekwondo Grandmaster, Dennis Ani, and assisted by other taekwondo instructors in the country.

Speaking with newsmen at its official commencement on Saturday, the Chairman of the state Taekwondo Association, Ebere Amaraizu, said that the exercise would help to determine the development and growth of individual athlete in the sport.

According to him, grading in taekwondo is very important since it also determines the level of assimilation of taekwondo tenets of modesty, indomitable spirit, perseverance and integrity, among others.

“The programme is also expected to take taekwondo athletes through the grading process of passing through the basic and complex rudiments of taekwondo art.

“The exercise will provide platforms of assessment, in terms of hand techniques, leg techniques, body form, poomsae (instructor/sports respect), self defence techniques, stamina and fighting skills, among others.

“The 60 participating athletes (both boys and girls) will undergo the grading after which their belts would be issued to them based on their level of performances.

“Then, they would move over to their new belt level and new level of training,” Amaraizu said.

He said that taekwondo, being an Olympic Game, “requires strict adherence to its rules and regulation even in its developmental plans.

“It is only by bringing up these kids properly as first grade athletes that future Olympic athletes are made,” he said.

(NAN)