23 September 2008
Lagos — Impressed by Chika Chukwumerije's feat at the last Beijing Olympic Games in China, a group of friends will on Saturday honour the taekwondo bronze medalist at a grand reception to be chaired by Senator Ben Obi.
The 24-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate of Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, became the first Nigerian to win an Olympic medal in taekwondo event at the Olympic Games in China.
Speaking on the essence of the event, Senator Obi said: We want to use the event to appreciate Nigeria's modest performance in Beijing, especially in taekwondo. Also to hold up this achievement as a message to our youths that pursuit of excellence in sports, academics and good citizenship can simultaneously be undertaken."
He however, said that youths should take a cue from Chukwumerije's feat in Beijing. His words: "You don't need to be a drop-out in school to be sports star. Academic excellence, success in sports and sound moral development can be simultaneously achieved to the maximum advantage of one another. Chika, a graduate of mechanical engineer, is moving ahead to read for his Masters Degree alongside with preparations for the next World Taekwondo Championship and next Olympic Games."
The reception put together by a 17-man committee will hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, with dignitaries drawn across the country, one of who is Dr Eddie Iroh, a former director General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
Chukwumerije made his second appearance at the world event and contribute to Nigeria's medal haul in Beijing, where he competed in the men's 80kg taekwondo event, and defeated
Vietnam's Nguyen Van Hung in the preliminary rounds. He went on to beat World Champion, Mali's Daba Modibo Keïta in the quarterfinals, but due to technical error, he lost to Greece's Alexandros Nikolaidis, the eventual silver medal winner in the event. In the repechage, he defeated Akmal Irgashev of Uzbekistan to claim bronze medal.
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