Chukwumerije To Pick Olympic Ticket

Nigeria’s bronze medal winner at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Chika Chukwumeriji, has promised to pick the ticket for next year’s London Olympics Taekwondo Event, as he is set to slug it out with other nations in the qualifyingbout slated for Egypt later this month.

Chukwumerije said it would be a great delight for him to stun other taekwondoists converging for the qualifying bout.

He said that his non impressive performance at the recently concluded All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique has spurred him to do the nation proud.

“I want to assure you that I will do everything possible to ensure that my dear great country, Nigeria, participates in the London Olympics by securing the ticket in Egypt.

” I have been training very hard and staying focused on how to lift the morale of my fellow country men,” he said.

He said he has overcome the nagging knee injury he suffered in his second round match at the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Chukwumerije was born on 30 December, 1983 to the family of Senator Uche Chukwumerije.

Chika first drew attention in 2003 during the qualifiers for the 2003 All-Africa Games, where he eventually won a bronze medal in the Heavyweight Male category.

He qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but lost his first bout to Pascal Gentil, the eventual bronze medal winner.

Nevertheless, after a period of intensive training that was funded by his father, he won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

—Olusegun Abidoye