Ki Hong Kim, the President and Founder of the World Taekwondo Masters Union, visited Nigeria on Saturday to improve the kukkiwon aspect of the sport. Kim arrived days earlier to participate in the National President’s Cup Open Taekwondo Championship organised by the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF). While in Nigeria, Kim plans to provide training to athletes and coaches on the sidelines of the event.
Kukkiwon is a government-sponsored national academy for taekwondo, and its certification is the only taekwondo certificate internationally recognised. Athletes are required to possess kukkiwon certification to participate in the Olympics, national and international events. Kim, a grand master of the sport and a kukkiwon 9th Dan, explained that the Union was working in conjunction with the NTF to ensure certifications for athletes.
Kim noted that Nigeria has considerable potential for taekwondo and hopes to improve the number of athletes and their skills through kukkiwon certification. He added that while the previous administration was focused on kirougi, which is the fighting aspect of the game, the current administration has expanded its focus to include the kukkiwon aspect of the game. Kim believes that by combining and utilising both kirougi and kukkiwon programmes effectively, the sport can witness significant improvement at the grassroots level.
Kim called for assistance from the government and corporate sponsors in developing the sport in Nigeria. Meanwhile, 192 athletes are participating in the three-day President’s Cup competition, which is taking place at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. The event is expected to conclude on Sunday.
