Bamidele Backs National Taekwondo Development With New Lagos Championship

Published –
By Maxwell Kumoye 


The maiden edition of the Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB) National Taekwondo Championship is scheduled to commence on September 17 in Lagos, with athletes from across the country expected to converge on the commercial capital for the tournament.

The championship, sponsored by former Lagos State Commissioner for Sports and ex-Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Opeyemi Bamidele, is expected to provide an exciting platform for athletes to showcase their skills while further promoting the development of taekwondo in Nigeria.

Bamidele, who is now the Senate Leader, has remained an active stakeholder in sports and has supported various sporting initiatives over the years. He believes sports can serve as a powerful tool for promoting unity and bringing people together.

President of the Taekwondo Federation of Nigeria (TFN), Tayo Popoola, expressed delight over the championship, describing it as a welcome development and an example of stakeholders complementing government efforts in sports development.

“We are so happy about this, and we believe it is coming at a time when we are also working towards the next African Games and the Olympic Games.

“This is the maiden edition of the competition, and we have high expectations that the athletes will enjoy themselves in Lagos. It is an opportunity to continue to assess the progress of our athletes and identify those we expect to represent Nigeria at future continental and global events,” Popoola said.

Already tagged the “Tournament of Unity,” the MOB National Taekwondo Championship is open to states, clubs and schools from across the country.

Popoola said participation would be strictly in team format, adding that the response from different parts of the country has so far been encouraging.

“Participation can only be in team format, and I am happy that so far we are having good responses from various parts of the country. The federation will continue to work hard to ensure that the event is hitch-free,” he added.

With athletes expected from different parts of Nigeria, the championship is set to provide another platform for talent discovery, competitive exposure and the strengthening of taekwondo development across the country.

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