The Technical Director of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Chika Chukwumerije, has given reasons why the highly publicized World Taekwondo sanctioned Nigeria Open was shifted to a new date next year.
The event due to be held in Nigeria this month was postponed until February to allow more athletes the chance to enter the competition, The Point gathered.
The Nigeria Open, officially sanctioned by World Taekwondo and given a G1 international rating by the organisation, was scheduled to take place from November 16 to 18 in Abuja, but NTF decided to shift the tournament to the New Year, with February 8 to 10 as the preferred dates.
Speaking exclusively to The Point, Chukwumerije said: “The postponement of the event was to enable athletes from Nigeria and other West African countries to complete the World Taekwondo global membership system (GMS) license.
“More than 150 competitors from nine countries in West Africa are working hard to obtain the mandatory GMS license, which will enable them register for the event,” he said.
“The postponement gives the competitors three months to obtain a valid GMS license and benefit from the world taekwondo ranking event.
“A new competition date of February 8 to 10 has been proposed to the world body and once an approval is given, it will be communicated to all.”
The event will be the second edition of the Nigeria
Open.
It will be the first taekwondo competition ever to take place in Nigeria with an international ranking and achieving this status had been a priority for the
NTF.