Why we missed Korean Ambassador Cup - Six-Time Defending Champions NSCDC

Why we missed Korean Ambassador Cup - Six-Time Defending Champions NSCDC

Six-times defending champions of the 10th Korean Ambassador Cup, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps [NSCDC] Taekwondo Team, were not at the last edition to defend the title for the 7th title, despite six members of the NSCDC taekwondo team were part of the National Team to the 12th All African Games.

In this interview with NTF Media Desk, MR JOHN VICTOR, the Head Coach of NSCDC and one of the National Coaching Crew speaks about the absence of his star-studded line-up at the prestigious event, secret behind the gold medal won at the All African Games by Chinazum Nwosu, combining family life with sports and gives advice to grassroots coaches.

Team NSCDC was not at the 10th KAC to defend a title they have won from 2013 to 2018. Why did you give up on winning the title for the record 7th time?
We deeply regret not being at the KAC especially since we have a lot of people looking up to us to learn and also be entertained with recent ways of fighting.
As you know, we also do other duties in the office for the good of the nation and being away in training and competing for the country from the beginning of the year 2019 to the All African Games in August left us with so much catch-up paper work and other official assignments to do. Balancing it all took a lot of time and led to our absence at the KAC.
We are now looking to Kebbi opens and the invitational Best-of-the-Best championships in December.

You guided Chinazum Nwosu to win Nigeria’s first gold at the last All African Games? How difficult was the journey to this success?
It took a lot of hard work, from training before the camp to the fantastic training we put in during the camp, studying videos and consulting with other great minds. She [Chinazum Nwosu] is disciplined and determined, which made it a lot easier for me to guide her. Of course, I cannot fail to mention the inputs of our three-time Olympian [Chika Chukwumerije] who is so passionate about it all and my big brother Alhaji Sani Lawal who displayed a lot of wisdom both in camp and at the tournament.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics? What must be done differently to ensure qualification success in Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
We need a proper training camp, one or two international competitions and lots competitions at home. The Federation is doing its best at this last point. Basically, we need support since the Technical director [Chika Chukwumerije] have outlined most of these things and more.

How do you combine being a young father and husband with the task of training your athletes, and ensuring balance between home and work?
[Laughs] I have a very supportive wife who share my dream and she is passionate about Taekwondo. My son who turned three 3 in May this year have followed me to training since he was a few months old. So, I would say that it has not been easy but we are happy.

How will the club membership program initiated by the Federation aid the development of Taekwondo in Nigeria?
The Membership program is the best idea executed by the current NTF after the Constitution.
The initiative gives you access as a club/organization to enjoy a lot of benefits possible only through the might of a Federation. It also gives the Federation critical data on the taekwondo population in Nigeria, and everyone knows how important data is in today’s world.

How can the level of grassroots coaches in Nigeria be developed to reduce the huge gap between elite and grassroots coaches?
You need basic education but the higher kind of education obtained, the better i.e. earning OND, NCE, HND, NIS, BSC, BED, B. ENG, MSC, PHD. etcetera]. It is also important to obtain coaching certifications via elaborate well-structured coaching courses, like the NTF have tried to do across the various zones in the country. One a coach can add all this to his/her passion for the art, then that the person is on the right path. It is important for the coaches to remember never to stop learning.