By Francis Ajuonuma
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has declared that the just concluded Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB) National Taekwondo Team Championship has come to stay.
Senator Bamidele, who is the sole sponsor of the championship gave the assurance on Saturday as he graced the final of the championship at the Indoor Sport Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The former Commissioner of Sports in Lagos told journalists that his decision to get involved in the championship was to support the growth of the sport, as well as support to the current President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Tayo Popoola, who has given her all to the development of the game of taekwondo in the country as a player and administrator.
Despite the huge turnout of participant from some states, clubs and para military outfits, Senator Bamidele revealed that the next edition will be more inclusive to get it a proper national outlook
”One of the reasons I’m part of this is because we have at the helms of Taekwondo Federation in this country today, someone – Tayo Popoola, who has put all her entire life to promoting the course of taekwondo and apart from that, she has been valuable to Lagos State Government in the area of sports administration.
”And so for her to become President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, i thought personally she needs our support. It’s not just to support her but to also support the game itself because it’s an area of sport that is also very, very relevant and as you know, sports has because science and there is huge economy behind it as well.
“So, I’m really happy to be a part of this. That this game has come to stay, is not going to be a one off, she knows that. Already we’ve discussed and from now she will commence the planning of the 2027 edition of the tournament. It’s going to be much bigger by God’s grace, it’s going to be more involving and a lot more would happen,” he said.
An elated President of the NTF, Popoola, commended Senator Bamidele for supporting the federation in developing the game in the country, admitting that the championship will help the federation in the discovery of more champions.
”For committing himself to say that this is going to be an annual event i want to say together we are happy because in the next few years, at least we’ll be having back to back, we’re going to be having team championship like this and you can see the equipment that we are using, this is the first time we’re having this kind of air and equipment in Nigeria. So to us, we feel that if you have something to work with then you can get a good result, and that’s what we are doing,” she said.
In some of the results of the final, All Best Club won gold in the Junior male fights, Lagos State won silver while AIMAAN won bronze. For the Junior female fights, Ondo State came first, N-Youth Club won silver and Lagos State won the bronze.
In the senior mixed competition, Rivers State won gold, Comprehensive Club clinched the silver and the bronze went to University of Lagos A.
For the Junior Mixed competition, N-Youths club won gold just as Lagos State won silver and Ondo claimed the bronze medal.
Rivers were again glorious in the Senior Female cadre, winning the gold medal while University of Lagos won Silver and Osun State clinched the bronze.
In the Senior Male Category, Rivers won gold, Sky Star Club won silver and Comprehensive Club clinched the bronze medal.
