Nigeria’s Elizabeth Anyanacho will be at Tokyo 2020 Olympics for her first ever after securing the Olympic berth at the two day African Qualification Tournament in Rabat, Morocco, which ended yesterday.
The 20-year old Statistics undergraduate of the Federal University of Technology secured the historic berth after defeating a five-time continental medalist, Gabon’s Urgence Mouega, who was a former African Champion.
The result makes Elizabeth the first female to qualify for the Taekwondo event of the Olympics in 16 years, and the second ever female after Princess Dudu’s qualification for the Athens 2004 Olympics.
Nigeria’s Benjamin Okuomose narrowly failed to clinch the Olympic ticket after narrowly losing 17 – 19 to former World Champion and Olympic Silver medalist, Gabon’s Anthony Obame.
The Nigerian had defeated Mozambique 10 – 0 in the opening round before the semi-finals defeat to Obame.
In the bronze medal match against Kenya’s Newton Maliro Nambani, Okuomose beat the Kenyan 27 – 2 to win the bronze medal.
The bronze medal winner is on stand-by in case of any doping infractions by the eventual finalists.
At the pre-tournament head of team meeting, organizers confirmed that only finalists will clinch the Olympic tickets to Tokyo, and finals matches would not be held given the non-significance of the finals match.
