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Lovemore Zigara in Gweru
FORMER national taekwondo welterweight champion and University of Zimbabwe coach Michael Sidija left Zimbabwe for Blantyre, Malawi yesterday to attend an instructor seminar and coaching course.

Twenty representative from various taekwondo associations across the world are expected to attend the seminar with grand master Byoung Ho-Lee from South Korea as facilitator.

The seminar is sponsored by Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) with funding from International Olympic Committee (IOC). Sidija said the course will give him an insight on the new trends in the sport which he will impart to locals when he returns.

“I am happy to be part of this course which is always conducted by some of the top people in the game of Taekwondo. I hope I will benefit a lot and will impart my newly acquired knowledge to others to improve Taekwondo locally,” he said.

Apart from information sharing among association representatives, there will also be sports management training for taekwondo officials.

Sidija, who is also the former national team captain, is not new to Malawi where he won a gold medal in 2012 during a similar sojourn.

Recently, taekwondo athletes picked four medals at the Beira Open Championships in Mozambique.

The country sent nine athletes — Tatenda Bhero, Brian Chaibva, Lazarus Maringeose, Beton Doba, Brenda Chaora, Admire Tshitshiliza, Vusimuzi Ncube, Albert Maringeose and Lewis Mataya to the championships.

Tshitshiliza and Mataya came out tops in the fin weight and featherweight respectively to claim gold. Ncube settled for bronze in the middleweight division while Albert Maringeose walked away with bronze in the juniors section.

Tshitshiliza, who was at the World Championships in South Korea a few months back, also got the athlete of the tournament award in an event that featured Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

@lavuzigara