The Nigeria Taekwondo Federation has invited Aramide Ibrahim Eniola, a 500 level student of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) department of Statistics, among other Nigerian athletes, to its National Camp in Abuja for Olympic Games trials. The trial will be used for the selection of atheletes that will represent Nigeria in the forthcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris ,France.
The letter from the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation signed by its Secretary General , Kabir Yusuf , requesting the University to release Aramide for the camp was addressed to the Vice Chancellor and routed through the Director of Sports Dr Alayode Ajibua. Aramide who is also scheduled to participate in the qualification trials for the 2024 All Africa Games scheduled to hold in Ghana later in the year, disclosed that he started Taekwondo at age 3 and has competed severally and won medals at the national level and qualified for international competitions.
In 2019 he won a Silver medal at the Collegiate games and qualified for the World University games. In 2022, he competed in the Nigerian University Games (NUGA) and won gold and bronze medals respectively for different aspects of Taekwondo. In 2023, Aramide qualified again for the World University games before being selected into the National team in Kebbi State in May and won gold in the Korean Ambassador Cup competition, all in the same year.
Aramide whose interest in Taekwondo aroused as a result of admiration for his father’s profession as a Taekwondo tutor is optimistic that he will not only make the University proud but the nation too. The boot camp for the Olympics which is ongoing was scheduled between 13 January and 7 February, 2024 to afford participants the opportunity to showcase their skills and compete to qualify for the main event.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji who is excited to present a student of the Institution for national service noted that University has continued to provide service to the nation at all levels including education, sports and research.
She congratulated Aramide and charged him to look inward and invest all sporting prowess required not only to secure a spot but to emerge victorious in the competitions ahead.
