A silver medalist in taekwondo at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Emmanuel Peters Oghenejobo has called for more competitions in the sport and the installation of sophisticated equipment to encourage the country’s array of talents.
Sports247 reports that Oghenejobo made the call while speaking during the finals of the inaugural Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB) National Taekwondo Championship in Lagos, where he also praised the presence of the Waychamp electronic scoring system.
Oghenejobo, who competed in the men’s heavyweight 83kg category, said he was impressed by the competition’s standard and surprised to see the electronic system, which he described as a significant step forward for taekwondo in Nigeria.
While adding that an expanded introduction of the Waychamp electronic scoring system will bring greater credibility and efficiency to domestic competitions, he also commended the Taekwondo Federation of Nigeria (TFN) for its giant steps at the recent championship.
The Olympic silver medalist further pointed out that competitions play a key role in discovering athletes who may remain unnoticed, as Nigeria has a large array of talent but more high-level championships are required to properly identify and develop them.
Oghenejobo posited, “The use of the Waychamp Electronic system is a massive boost to the game in Nigeria and Africa. It is only people who know about taekwondo that will appreciate it more. I was shocked to see the facilities on display at the MOB Championship.
“We all look forward to having our athletes compete under the best template, and I congratulate the federation for putting up a good show. There are good talents all over the country, and it is competitions like this that can help in identifying the hidden talents.”
Sports247 reports further that, since taekwondo was a demonstration event at the 1992 Olympics, Oghenejobo’s silver is considered an unofficial medal, but he is widely recognized as an Olympian and pioneer of the martial arts discipline in Nigeria.
