Ahmadiyya martial artists move to next belt stages in taekwondo

The Ahmadiyya International Martial Arts Association of Nigeria (AIMAAN), Oyo State chapter, has upgraded some of its taekwondo member-students to the next belt stages in the martial art.

The grading ceremony was held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, the training venue for the association. Twenty-six members were upgraded to the yellow, blue and brown belts at the event.

The last upgrading was held before the pandemic in 2020. At the 2021 grading ceremony, 12 reputable black belters assessed the students.

The national coordinator of AIMAAN, Brother Muibullah Bayo, admonished the upgraded students to always play by the rules guiding their status as martial artists.

“This is a stepping stone, and you should always strive to attain the peaks and be all-time champions,” he said.

The Ahmadiyya martial art club is one of the longest and vibrant sport clubs in Oyo State and the country as a whole. It exists internationally. AIMAAN is registered with the Oyo State Taekwondo Association, which is an arm of the Oyo State Sport Council.

Its members have represented Oyo State in local and international competitions and won medals. It is one of the associations with the highest number black belters in Nigeria.

The grading ceremony was witnessed by respected martial artists, including Brother Muibullah Bayo, the national coordinator of AIMAAN; Mrs Muibullah, a one-time national bronze medalist; Brother Adeoti Maruf, a former Oyo State AIMAAN coach who now tutors in China, as well as notable black belters and sports officials.