Rivers top MOB National Taekwondo Team Championship

Rivers State topped the medals table at the maiden MOB National Taekwondo and Team Championship, while Senate Leader of the National Assembly, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, announced that the competition will become an annual event.

Bamidele, who sponsored the tournament, made the announcement at the conclusion of the two-day championship at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, on Saturday, where athletes from different states, clubs and schools competed for honours.

“I am very elated to see youths competing in a very good atmosphere and I want to first confirm that this will not be a one-off event, rather, it will be annual.

“This competition will go round the geopolitical zones in the country, but the second edition will still be in Lagos. It will take place at Teslim Balogun Stadium,” Bamidele said.

The former Lagos Commissioner for Youth and Sports also announced a surprise reward for all participants at the championship.

“I hereby double the prize money of all the athletes, while all the officials will get an additional special cash package for their efforts in helping to develop the game.

“Let me also salute the Taekwondo Federation led by Grand Master Tayo Popoola. We just have to keep this event going and it has to be better every year,” Bamidele added.

Rivers topped the medals table with three gold and one silver, followed by Lagos State with two gold, three silver and one bronze. N-Youth finished third with one gold and one silver.

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In the junior male competition, All Best Club won gold, Lagos State took silver and AIMAAN claimed bronze, while Ondo State won gold in the junior female category, ahead of N-Youth Club and Lagos State.

Rivers State won gold in the senior mixed competition, with Comprehensive Club taking silver and University of Lagos A winning bronze.

N-Youth Club claimed gold in the junior mixed category, while Lagos State and Ondo State took silver and bronze respectively.

Rivers also won gold in the senior female category, with University of Lagos taking silver and Osun State bronze.

In the senior male category, Rivers won gold, Sky Star Club claimed silver and Comprehensive Club took bronze.

NTF President Tayo Popoola expressed satisfaction with the standard of the championship.

“We feel like we need to start somewhere so we can compete with the rest of the world. For us in taekwondo, we are having sleepless nights in ensuring that we raise the game and make it a choice sport in Nigeria,” Popoola said.