Nigeria Wins Three Gold Medals at African Taekwondo Championships

Nigeria Wins Three Gold Medals at African Taekwondo Championships

Nigeria recorded an impressive performance at the 2026 African Taekwondo Championships in Bamako, Mali, finishing with a total of seven medals, including three gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

The World Taekwondo-sanctioned G-4 tournament took place at the Palais des Sports Salamatou Maiga, attracting top athletes from across the continent.
Team Nigeria’s latest medal success came in the Poomsae events on Tuesday, where Aderibigbe Faridah claimed gold in the Freestyle Poomsae category.

Faridah also teamed up with Salawudeen Abdulafeez to secure a silver medal in the Pair Poomsae event, further boosting Nigeria’s position on the medal table.

Earlier in the competition, Haruna Usman won gold in the Poomsae Under-40 Male category, while Para-Taekwondo athlete Mathew Udom delivered Nigeria’s first gold medal after an outstanding performance in the men’s -57kg Kyorugi division.

Nigeria also earned three bronze medals during the championship.

Joel Jordan secured bronze in the men’s +87kg Kyorugi category, while Chidinma Okoko claimed bronze in the women’s -62kg Kyorugi division after defeating Mali’s Samake Goundo in the quarter-finals before falling short in the semi-finals.

Salawudeen Abdulafeez added another bronze medal in the Poomsae Under-30 Male category.

Morocco emerged as the overall champions of the Kyorugi competition after dominating the event and winning eight gold medals.
Reacting to the team’s performance, Nigeria Taekwondo Federation President, Tayo Popoola, praised the athletes for their efforts and expressed confidence in their ability to win more medals.

“I know you can do it, so I need some more,” Popoola said while encouraging the team during the competition.

She also expressed confidence in the country’s Poomsae athletes and their ability to improve Nigeria’s standing on the medal table.
The athletes responded positively to the challenge, delivering strong performances that helped Nigeria secure one of its most successful outings at the continental championship.

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Adesokan Oluwasegun is a journalist and blogger with four years of experience, specializing in politics, business and economy, metro reporting and editorial writing that provides analysis and opinion on key issues .