Coaches, athletes write Dare, defend Chukwumerije against assault allegation

Some Taekwodo coaches and athletes have written the Sports Minister, Mr Sunday Dare, in support of the embattled coach Chika Chukwumerije, who was accused of abusing and assaulting female athletes at the All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville in 2015.

The allegation against Chukwumerije followed a report by the former Secretary General of the Taekwondo Federation of Nigeria, Monday Obot, acting on a complaint by Ayodele Temitope, alleging how former Olympic Silver medalist, Chukwumerije slapped three female athletes- Esther Uzoukwu, Ifeoma Dennis and a Police officer, Joy Ekhator- while they were training for the Games.

But the allegation was bluntly denied by some of the athletes and coaches in separate letters addressed to the minister and copied to the World Taekwondo federation and Nigeria Olympic Committee.

Six of the athletes, which incidentally included Dennis, who represented Nigeria at the All Africa Games, five years ago, categorically stated that Chukwumerije did not abuse, assault or slap any female athletes in camp.

Other signatories to the letter, dated July 1, 2021 were Uzoamaka Otuadinma, Chinazum Nwosu, Josephine Esuku, Vivian Ndu and Jamilu Mohammed.

They said that Chukwumerije was being victimised for political reason given that that the federation election is about four months from now.

They credited Chukwumerije’s programme for helping to develop them in no small way.

Also two of the national coaches to the All Africa Games, Abdul-Malik Mohammed, and John Victor in separate letters addressed to the Minister, said they did not witness the slapping of female athletes in the camp.

Mohammed said that he was not aware if a disciplinary committee was set on the said matter as he was not invited.

Following the same trend, a board member of the Taekwondo federation, Anthony Anafulu petitioned Dare that Chukwumerije, who was a technical assistant to the team in Congo Brazaville, did not abuse any athlete in camp.

Anafulu noted that without Chukwumerije’s dedication, passion and input, Nigeria would not have achieved the results obtained at the Games.

He added that as a board member and coach in camp there was no invitation to any panel of inquiry set up to clarify the matter.

He said the plot stemmed from an ego war between Chukwumerije and a former president of the federation, George Ashiru and a scheme rooted in jealousy to tarnish the reputation of the former Olympian, whom he said had invested so much in Taekwondo.