Team CCSF strikes maiden gold medals, awards in Accra

In just their first international competition ever, the four-member taekwondo team of the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF) met their pre-tournament target of three medals as they won two gold medals and one bronze medal as well as scooping awards at the just concluded 8th Korean Cup Taekwondo championships, which was held on the 13th and 14th January at the Accra Sports Stadium in Accra, Ghana.
The duo of 19 year old Peter Itiku and 17 year old Elizabeth Anyanacho won Gold medals in the male -87kg category and female -73kg category while 21 year old Darius Danlami picked up the bronze medal in the male -63kg.
Peter Itiku defeated Ghana’s Asiedu Seth 27 – 15 in the Quarter-Finals, Ghana’s Mohammed Amidu Abass 17 – 3 in the semi-finals before snatching the gold by beating Ghana’s fan favourite, Raphael Gaga, 19 – 14 in the finals.
Elizabeth Anyanacho demolished her first opponent, Ghana’s Boatemaa Elizabeth, 15 – 2 in the semi-finals before clinching the gold by knocking out Ghana’s Laryea Chrisanne in the second round when the score was at 9 – 0.
Darius Danlami beat Ghana’s Lanwadan Patrick 18 – 6 in the preliminary round. He then came from behind to snatch a nail-biting 14-13 victory over Togo’s Hamidu Tahiru in the quarter-finals before losing to Niger Republic’s Ibrahim Idrissa in the semi-finals.
CCSF’s fourth athlete, Chinonso Ogbonna, failed to make it past the preliminary stage as he was beaten by Ghana’s Sahibu Mateen Abdul 21 – 9.
Elizabeth Anyanacho won the Best Female Athlete of the Tournament Award while Peter Itiku won the Most Promising Male Athlete of the Tournament Award.
Hundreds of athletes from a total of five countries participated in the Championships – Ghana, Nigeria, Niger Republic, Togo and Cote D’Ivoire. Nine-member Niger Republic came away as the top team with a total of five Gold medals, two silver medals and 1 bronze medal. The 8th Korea Cup Taekwondo Championships was hosted by the Ghana Taekwondo Federation and sponsored by the Korea Embassy in Accra, Ghana.