The Head of Sports, Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Dr Patience Anyanwu has expressed delight over the qualification of Nigerian Taekwondo athlete, Elizabeth Anyanacho for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Silvernews.com.ng reports.
Dr (Mrs) Anyanwu, who is also the Chairperson Imo State Female Football League of the Imo State Football Association said FUTO community are excited with her saying that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof ( Mrs) Nnenna Oti is doing her best to promote sports in the institution.
She revealed that Anyanacho took off with the permission of the University for the Olympic qualification training in Germany adding that the institution is doing well in sports, where they emerged runners-up at the South-East Universities Games.
She said: “We are very much excited at the university community, all her friends, the Sports Minister, Nigeria Taekwondo Federation and Sports loving Nigerians, Imo sports commission,
everybody is actually excited with that excellent result.
“It was a joyful moment from the Vice-Chancellor, Prof ( Mrs) Oti to the Dean and university athletes. Also, during the last Governor’s Cup, my school lifted the trophy and recently we just came back from South-East Universities Games hosted at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka where the school came second with 7 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze medals.
“The current Vice-Chancellor is doing her best and she used to be an athlete and everything sports is in her and she loves sports. She is working on getting us a standard football pitch.
“Everybody should join hands together to make sure that Elizabeth mounts the podium. She took off with the assistance of the university to go for training. She has been in Germany and we expect her back as soon as the Olympics is over.”
Anyanacho created history by becoming the first female athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games back to back.
The 2019 African Games bronze medallist pummelled Jully Musangi (Kenya) in the two rounds of the -67kg at the 2024 African Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Dakar, Senegal.
Similarly, Dr Anyanwu has hailed Harmony Chidi for her heroics in her first international appearance for the Flamingos of Nigeria, where she scored five goals in the U-17 qualifying matches against Central African Republic.
“Harmony is a talented player and I know that she is just starting considering her age. I have always told them, you cannot separate sports from academics. They are all co-existing. If you abandon your academics because of sports, then you have done yourself a great harm and I know that Harmony is also intelligent. I’m so excited about her performance.”
