Chika Chukwumerije, Former Technical Director, Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), has disclosed that he is taking a break from the sport after two decades of active service, both as an athlete and administrator.

According to him, the break was to enable him further his studies as a trained mechanical engineer and enroll for his doctorate degree.

“After so many years of being engaged in the sport and investing in it, it is very important that I pause a bit and move on to another career.

“I have a degree in mechanical engineering and a Masters in Operations and Supply Chain Management, I am a first class student, so it’s important that I also plan for my future, to be stable financially and career wise, ” he said.

He called for increased capacity building and improved funding to develop Taekwondo in the country saying that funding and capacity building were crucial to the development of the sport.

“I think with better funding and capacity building for athletes and officials, we can take taekwondo to the next level in the country,” he said.

The former technical director called on stakeholders to give the new NTF board all the support it needed to develop the sport in the country.