Tayo Popoola Expresses hope on Nigerian Taekwondo Team at the African Championship in Bamako, Mali

Photo: The Team Taekwondo athletes representing Nigeria at the African Taekwondo Championship in Bamako, Mali

President of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Tayo Popoola is optimistic that team Nigeria will have podium finish at the African Taekwondo Championship in Bamako, Mali where Nigeria is being represented by eleven Taekwondo athletes and two coaches.

Made up of Poomsae, Kyorugi and Para players, the team list includes, Salawudeen Abdulafeez, ( U-30, Kyorugi/Poomsae, Haruna Usman U-40 ( Poomsae )
Aderibigbe Faridah ( -53kg ) pair Poomsae -freestyle, Fasal Hamidu ( -53kg ) and Abeeblahi
Oladimeji (+54kg),

Others are; Chidinma Okoko ( -62 Kg ), Abogun Modinat ( -46kg ), Jordan Joel (+87kg, ), Ability Mathew Udo- Para (-57kg ) , Faster Bakare- Para (-70kg) and Samson Ukpera-Para ( 80kg), while the two coaches, John Victor and Samson Akhilele complete the list.

Popoola explained that the team which was carefully selected from the recently concluded National championship in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, are among the very best the country can offer presently.

It would be recalled that the Bamako Taekwondo contingent is the largest team Nigeria has ever taken to any international championship in recent time. It is usually two, three or four players in the past.

For breaking the jinx, unarguably, the Tayo Popoola led present leadership of Nigeria Taekwondo has so far proven that things have change for the better while hoping and praying that the new move would be sustained