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Sports News of Monday, 3 May 2021

Source: thenationonlineng.net

Taekwondo fight camp holds in Abuja

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Former African middle-weight female champion, Uzoamaka Otuadinma, has landed Abuja alongside four other established national champions for a one-week long fight camp with Tokyo Olympics-bound Elizabeth Anyanacho.

The fight camp will hold May 3 to 8 and is being organized by three-time Olympian and Beijing 2008 Olympic medalist Chika Chukwumerije to provide competitive experiences for Tokyo-bound Elizabeth after the cancellation of the Austrian Open and postponement of the Beirut Open.

The Austrian Open was to hold 29 – 30 May 2021 before it was cancelled due to covid-19 concerns while the postponed Beirut Open is re-scheduled to hold on 20 June 2021.

The changes forced Elizabeth’ technical crew to present a competitive solution to Elizabeth’s initial competitive schedule for May.

Other champions to participate in the Olympic fight camp include former African bronze medalist and national heavyweight champion, Juliet Dennis; national welterweight female champion Judith Usifoh, national featherweight female champion Helen Okoko, and national featherweight male champion, Ifeoluwa Ajayi.

Joining the fray will be a top welterweight competitor and 2018 Nigeria Taekwondo Open Gold Medalist, Peter Itiku, who has been Elizabeth’s sparring partner and teammate since she began her preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The fight camp will also serve to bolster preparations for the African Taekwondo Championships, holding in Dakar Senegal 5 – 6 June 2021.

All the invited females, apart from Judith Usifoh who is in the same category as Elizabeth Anyanacho, are registered to compete at the African Tourney, subject to the availability of funding.

Funds raised through public donations for Elizabeth Anyanacho are being used to finance the logistics of the training camp.

The 22-year-old Statistics undergraduate of the Federal University of Technical Owerri who qualified for the Olympics on 24th January 2020 has depended on the NOC Scholarship and generosity of Nigerians to support her preparations so far.

Elizabeth Anyanacho will be fighting on June 26 at the Taekwondo event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.