Head of planning, Bauchi state sports council, Salisu Garba has declared that Bauchi state is the dominant state in Taekwondo in the north Eastern region of the country.
In an interview, Garba says the current coach of the state’s team is a black belt holder which is the reason the sport gained momentum in the state.
‘Bauchi State never misses out on Taekwondo events at any Federal Ministry of Sports organized fiesta be it National Youth Games or National Sports Festival, in fact we dominate the North- East in terms of Taekwondo. The current state head coach Nuhu Adamu is a Black belter. So you can see the sport has gained momentum in the State’.
The former long distant runner also attributed the use of modern technology and the hunger of Nigerians to learn the art of self defense as the reason Taekwondo is on the rise in the country.
‘Taekwondo is one of the new Sports that is gaining popularity in the country, this is because of its entertaining nature and the use of modern technology in conducting her affairs, it is also a Sports for self-defense and this attracts Nigerians because they want to learn the art of self-defense, same as the Military and Para Military’.
On the effect of Covid-19, Garba said it has crippled sports in the state as he urges Nigerians and Bauchi state residence to adhere to regulations given by the government and NCDC.
‘The lockdown has paralyzed the entire Sporting activities in the state, we only come to the office to conduct a skeleton service as the junior staff we’re exempted from office activities because of partial lockdown.
My advice to athletes and Nigerians is to obey the lock down rules, use face masks, frequent wash of hands obey the social distancing rules and avoid crowded areas and do all your training at home or with a few athletes.
Training keeps athletes fit and in good shape, so it is something that has to be a regular activity, therefore continuous training keeps you ready at all times, so it is a good habit’.
