Tough call as selection for Africas Taekwondo team begins

Preparations geared at selecting Team Africa for the Taekwondo World Championship set for Japan in 2020 began  in earnest on Thursday at the Alpha Fit Gym in Nairobi where players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan are gathering as coaches from different countries meet to choose the best players who will represent the continent.

In an interview with Citizen Digital, Joseph Grison, one of the coaches tasked with selecting the team said that it’s all systems go as some of the players from neighbouring countries have already arrived ahead of the  recruitment process, adding that more Taekwondos are expected to arrive in the country in the next couple of days.

“So far we have more than 15 Takwendos from different African countries who have shown the passion and desire to perform well in the world competitions come 2020,”he said adding that, “However, with this number, we expect more players to join us in the training sessions so as to help us get the best team which will represent Africa in Japan.”

On the other hand, Sane Tuitonbag, one of the event organizers, warned that there’s need for proper measures to be taken  if African is to be a strong competitor at the global event.

Sane, a Thai national, cited Kenya as one of the places where the game is still weak, adding that a little more effort is needed.

He said: “Taekwondo in Kenya can be a success. I have seen passion from players, some of the facilities are in good condition and we’re looking forward to meeting the players and giving them the skills which we feel will help them to genuinely compete with the rest of the world in Japan.”

According to coach Grison, they expect to recruit not less than 15 Taekwondos who will fly to Japan for the world competitions.

Grison challenged the players to showcase their skills and the urge of competing against the best if they are to make the cut.The three-day selection process comes to an end on Saturday.

Report by Robbie Chome