The South Sudanese national Taekwondo team is heading to Congo Brazzaville where it will participate in the All-Africa Games, according to sports officials and athletes.
Taekwondo is a Korean martial arts sport with a heavy emphasis on kicks. The sport has an ethic emphasizing the five tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.
Nadir Sebit, one of the Taekwondo competitors, said that he was proud to represent the country by participating in the upcoming competition. He said he would try his best to bring an award to South Sudan.
Head Coach Sebit Kujur said, “We are going to participate and attend the All-Africa Taekwondo games. Our team now they prepared very well, and we hope to get some medals in these games. We hope four or five.”
The delegation consists of the chairman of the national Taekwondo federation, two coaches and ten players including one woman. The coach noted that more women are undergoing training for competition but only one was ready for competition at this time.
“Taekwondo unites all the nations. Many nations in one white uniform. Taekwondo will make a relationship between all the people, not only for the Sudanese and South Sudanese.” The coach stressed that more girls and women should participate in Taekwondo saying, “Let them come.”
South Sudan’s Taekwondo federation has been supported in part by the South Korean army, which has a detachment of peacekeepers based in the country. The South Sudanese national government is also supporting the team. According to a national Olympic Committee official, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport have approved the budget for the team’s participation in the upcoming games.
The 11th African Games are scheduled for September 4–19, 2015 in Brazzaville, Congo. This edition marks the 50th anniversary of the Games, as well as their return to Brazzaville, which hosted the first edition in 1965.
Photos: Taekwondo training in Juba, South Sudan, June 2015 (Radio Tamazuj)