- Wins awards in Korea
By Chidera Akalonu
Former Vice President of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Jonathan Nnaji has retained his position as the second in command in the African Taekwondo Union (ATU).
Nnaji was last week re elected the ATU Vice President in the election conducted in Muju, Korea Republic.
The Nigerian taekwondo buff did not only emerge victorious at the polls but also won two awards in Korea in recognition of his contributions to the development of the sport.
One of the awards was bestowed on him by the African taekwondo body, while the second came from the the world taekwondo governing body. Both bodies praised Nnaji for his efforts at developing the game in Nigeria. They noted that Nnaji as President of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation succeeded in taking the game to the next level in the country.
It is recalled that Nnaji as NTF president led the country to qualify for the Olympics on three occasions with Chika Chukwumerije winning a bronze in Beijing 2008.
Nnaji in a chat with Daily Sunsports yesterday moments after arriving from Korea said the two awards would propel him into doing more for the country.
“I m happy with the awards that were bestowed on me out there in Muju, Korea. For me, it is an honor that would propel me to do more for the sport in the country. The game of taekwondo must continue to grow in Nigeria,” Nnaji said.
He was however quick in adding that the decision by the sports ministry to annul the election into the NTF board was not a good one as the first election was free and fair.
“I was taken aback by that decision. I just hope the sport would not slip back into the hands of those who are only in taekwondo to see what they can get out of taekwondo and not what they can do to make it grow. That there was so much crisis in the last four years was because taekwondo was being run by the wrong people. Once we elect the right people to take charge of the sport, then we would bounce back to international reckoning,” Nnaji said.