Despite the absence of Nigerian athletes at the just-concluded World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, the nation was proudly represented by Thursdaline Peter, who served as the sole Nigerian umpire at the largest cadet championship in the sport’s history.
Peter, a seasoned Taekwondo instructor, was among more than 50 elite referees selected to officiate at the global event, which featured over 800 athletes aged 12 to 14 from 89 Member National Associations (MNAs), Independent Neutral Athletes (AIN), and the Refugee Team.
Speaking with Sports247, Thursdaline expressed her pride and gratitude for the opportunity.
“It’s a huge opportunity to be the only Nigerian among the officials at the championship. The experience at the world stage was massive,” she said.
Back home, Thursdaline Peter is the CEO of Body Dynamics, the organizers of the LFLP U17 Taekwondo Championships in Lagos, an initiative aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent in the sport.
The maiden edition in 2024 was deemed a success with the discoveries of exciting young talents and anticipation is high for the 2025 edition, scheduled to hold on June 14 at the Lycee Français Louis Pasteur Basketball Court in Lekki, Lagos.
The Fujairah 2025 championship closed on a high note with Iran and Korea topping the men’s and women’s team standings, respectively.
The final day of competition saw gold medals claimed by athletes from Korea, Iran, Morocco, and an Individual Neutral Athlete.
Notably, Nikolai Sychev (AIN) clinched gold in the M -41kg category, narrowly defeating Oman’s Dawood Fahad Al-Yusufi, who made history as his nation’s first-ever World Taekwondo Championships medallist.
Korea’s Geunmi Lee delivered a dominant performance in the W -37kg final, while Iran’s Parsa Houshyar won the M -57kg gold with high-scoring rounds.
Morocco’s Samar Lamlih rounded off the tournament by claiming the W -59kg title.
Fujairah 2025 marked the largest World Taekwondo Cadet Championships ever held.
The next edition is slated to take place in Athens, Greece in 2027.
