Commonwealth gold medalists, Abubakar Adamu Isah and Mohammed Jamilu topped the list of 16 athletes listed by the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) for the 2015 African Games in Congo Brazzaville.
Isah, who will be competing in the men’s -54kg, is one of the experienced athletes in the team having featured at the 2014 World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) World Junior Championship in Chinese Taipei as well as the maiden at the 2014 Africa Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana.
Like Isah, Jamilu (-58kg) is also an established taekwondist having won gold at the 2011 African Games in Mozambique as we as a quarterfinalist at the 2015 Alexandria Open in Egypt.
In the absence of his sibling, Chika, 2011 African Games gold medalist and captain of Team Nigeria, Uche Chukwumerije who will jostle for medal in the men’s +87kg will also be part of the team.
Another experience taekwondist in the team is 2011 African Games bronze medalist, Sunday Onofe who will fight for medal in the men’s -80kg.
Other members of the men’s team are Edwin Samson Nduka (-63kg), Kolade Paul (-68kg), Olushola Segun (-74kg), and Ayodele Temitope Ebenezer (-87kg).
2014 African Championship bronze medalist, Joy Ekhator (-49kg) will lead the female team as the most experienced athlete.
Others are Jimoh Morufat (-46kg), Chinazum Nwosu (-52kg), Fatimoh Abdullahi (-57kg), Ndu Vivian (-63kg), Ifeoma Dennis (-67kg), Uzoamaka Otuadinma (-73kg) and Esther Uzoukwu (+73kg).
At the last African Games in Mozambique, Nigeria settled for fourth place with two gold, one silver and seven bronze medals while Egypt, Tunisia and Senegal finished as the top three teams in the taekwondo event.