The inaugural Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB) National Taekwondo Championship will take place in Lagos from September 17, with states, clubs, and schools from across Nigeria expected to participate.
The championship, sponsored by Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Sports and Commissioner for Information and Strategy and now Senate Leader, is aimed at providing competitive opportunities for athletes while contributing to the development of taekwondo in Nigeria.
Bamidele, who has remained involved in sports development, believes sport can play an important role in promoting unity and bringing people together.
President of the Taekwondo Federation of Nigeria (TFN), Tayo Popoola, welcomed the championship, describing the involvement of individuals and organisations in supporting sports development as an important complement to government efforts.
“We are so happy about this and we believe it is coming at a time we are also working towards the next African Games and the Olympic Games,” Popoola said.
He said the maiden edition would provide the federation with another opportunity to assess the progress of athletes and identify competitors who could develop into future representatives for Nigeria at major continental and global competitions.
“This is the maiden edition of the competition and we have high expectations that the athletes will enjoy themselves in Lagos. It is an opportunity to continue to look at the progress of our athletes and know those we expect to represent us in future continental and global events,” he added.
Already tagged the ‘Tournament of Unity’, the championship is open to participants from states, clubs and schools across the country.
Popoola said participation would be strictly in team format and disclosed that the response from different parts of Nigeria had been encouraging.
“Participation can only be in team format and I am happy that so far we are having good responses from various parts of the country. The federation will continue to work so hard to make the event hitch-free,” he said.
The federation is expected to use the championship to give athletes valuable competitive exposure while providing a platform for assessing emerging talent ahead of future national assignments.
