Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
TEN countries have confirmed participation at the Taekwondo Expo set to be hosted by Panthers Academy at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo in October.
The event will be held to mark the academy’s 15th year anniversary.
Initially, the event was meant to be held in March but was deferred owing to some logistical challenges.
According to Panthers Academy founder Vusa Ncube, they are expecting close to 250 athletes from Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Angola, Zambia, Egypt, Botswana, Nigeria and Mozambique.
“Normally we have the event in March, but we were forced to postpone it.
However, we are happy that we have managed to reschedule and we are ready to go.
Hopefully we get all the support from the Bulawayo community so that the event becomes a success. The main activities will be Poomsae, Kyorugi and high target kicking,” said Ncube.
Panthers Academy was running taekwondo in 16 schools around Bulawayo before Covid-19 hit, but that number has dropped significantly.
Ncube said they plan to embark on a taekwondo awareness and recruitment drive around Bulawayo where he believes a lot of talent remains untapped.
They also want to improve students’ grading after two years of inaction.
A grading assesses one’s technical ability, knowledge, indomitable spirit and physical conditioning, and most importantly allows rank advancement.
Taekwondo, Tae Kwon Do or Taekwon-Do is a Korean form of martial arts, characterised by punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping spinning kicks and fast kicking techniques.
– @innocentskizoe
derick.khumalo