How I won silver on empty stomach - Taekwondoist
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- Category: Sports
- Written by David Ngobua
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Lack of sponsorship compelled Nigeria’s Chukwudi Nzelu to compete for Niger Republic at the just concluded Korea Ambassador’s Taekwondo championship in Abuja. In this exclusive chat with Shot!, the welterweight silver medal winner explained why he competed for another country and how he drank only pure water throughout the competition.
Could you tell me why you are still crying after such a wonderful performance?I am feeling really bad because I was leading my opponent and he came from behind to beat me. What pained me most is that I have never lost from behind before. What I mean is that if I am leading you, there is no way you will come from behind to beat me. If you took the lead and continued to the end, I don’t usually feel bad. I don’t feel really bad when I lose a match but losing after I have taken the lead is a bitter pill to swallow. I sacrificed a lot to get this close and I wanted to win by all means. It will be hard for me to put this defeat behind me. I am also sad because my opponent was not better than me.
For me to lose 6-7 is even hurting me the more.
Don’t you think your opponent used his wealth of experience as a national team athlete to beat you?
He is an experienced fighter no doubt because he represented Nigeria at the All Africa Games in Maputo. However that is not to say he is unbeatable. I wanted to dethrone him. Champions do not rule for ever.
Champions are human beings who can be toppled. I felt this is my opportunity to rule this weight category this year. It is not a taboo.
He also dethroned somebody to become the reigning champion.
You are an Igbo man but you competed for Niger Republic. How did it happen?
I was supposed to represent Oyo State but in the dying minutes the state pulled out. Because I love the game so much, I felt that if even I remained at home, my mind would still be here. I had to borrow money from my friends to get transport to come here. I even starved myself to raise enough transport money to be able to come here with the hope that I would get a Nigerian team to represent. Unfortunately, on getting here, all the Nigerian teams here had gotten their full fighters. I was therefore forced to look for any the visiting countries to represent. One of the Nigerian coaches told me that Niger Republic still has space in my weight category. I then approached the Nigerien coach and he accepted me on the condition that I would be responsible for my feeding and accommodation which I gladly accepted.
The coach said if I won, it would be for myself. He said he only accepted to give me the opportunity to compete because he took pity on me. I starved seriously to compete. Can you imagine that from morning to this moment that I am speaking to you, I drank only two sachets of pure water and I have been sleeping under the staircase? I have no sponsor and had to fight on empty stomach.
With this disappointment and what you have experienced here, are you going to leave this sport?
No, I cannot leave taekwondo. This sport is part of my live and nothing can stop me from continuing with it. I just have to go back and work harder especially on the need for me to maintain my concentration level next time. I know this is what affected me today.
I was too relaxed. I just took it for granted that my opponent cannot come from behind to beat me. I was over confident. I believed I was winning the fight so there was no need to watch him closely. But all of a sudden, he toppled me and defeated me with a point. This is a bitter lesson for me to learn.
How many fights did you win to get to the finals and which was your toughest?
I fought three fights before getting to the finals and my toughest was my second fight. He is the owner of this weight. He is clearly the best. His name is Ismail, I think from Kano State. I respect his fighting skills. I adore the way he fights but he lost to me today 5-2.
What is your ambition as a fighter?
I have made a lot of sacrifices to get to this level and nothing is going to stop me from representing Nigeria. Honestly, my ambition is to win Olympic gold medal for Nigeria. Once I win an Olympic gold medal for Nigeria, I would resign. I have no other ambition and by the special grace of God, I am going to achieve this. I know I am a good fighter but like any other Nigerian athlete, lack of sponsor may be the major impediment in my way. All the same, by the special grace of God nothing is impossible. God can do all things. Once you believe you can, nothing stops you.
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How I won silver on empty stomach - Taekwondoist
Category: Sports Written by David Ngobua Hits: 2284
Lack of sponsorship compelled Nigeria’s Chukwudi Nzelu to compete for Niger Republic at the just concluded Korea Ambassador’s Taekwondo championship in Abuja. In this exclusive chat with Shot!, the welterweight silver medal winner explained why he competed for another country and how he drank only pure water throughout the competition.
Could you tell me why you are still crying after such a wonderful performance?I am feeling really bad because I was leading my opponent and he came from behind to beat me. What pained me most is that I have never lost from behind before. What I mean is that if I am leading you, there is no way you will come from behind to beat me. If you took the lead and continued to the end, I don’t usually feel bad. I don’t feel really bad when I lose a match but losing after I have taken the lead is a bitter pill to swallow. I sacrificed a lot to get this close and I wanted to win by all means. It will be hard for me to put this defeat behind me. I am also sad because my opponent was not better than me.
For me to lose 6-7 is even hurting me the more.
Don’t you think your opponent used his wealth of experience as a national team athlete to beat you?
He is an experienced fighter no doubt because he represented Nigeria at the All Africa Games in Maputo. However that is not to say he is unbeatable. I wanted to dethrone him. Champions do not rule for ever.
Champions are human beings who can be toppled. I felt this is my opportunity to rule this weight category this year. It is not a taboo.
He also dethroned somebody to become the reigning champion.
You are an Igbo man but you competed for Niger Republic. How did it happen?
I was supposed to represent Oyo State but in the dying minutes the state pulled out. Because I love the game so much, I felt that if even I remained at home, my mind would still be here. I had to borrow money from my friends to get transport to come here. I even starved myself to raise enough transport money to be able to come here with the hope that I would get a Nigerian team to represent. Unfortunately, on getting here, all the Nigerian teams here had gotten their full fighters. I was therefore forced to look for any the visiting countries to represent. One of the Nigerian coaches told me that Niger Republic still has space in my weight category. I then approached the Nigerien coach and he accepted me on the condition that I would be responsible for my feeding and accommodation which I gladly accepted.
The coach said if I won, it would be for myself. He said he only accepted to give me the opportunity to compete because he took pity on me. I starved seriously to compete. Can you imagine that from morning to this moment that I am speaking to you, I drank only two sachets of pure water and I have been sleeping under the staircase? I have no sponsor and had to fight on empty stomach.
With this disappointment and what you have experienced here, are you going to leave this sport?
No, I cannot leave taekwondo. This sport is part of my live and nothing can stop me from continuing with it. I just have to go back and work harder especially on the need for me to maintain my concentration level next time. I know this is what affected me today.
I was too relaxed. I just took it for granted that my opponent cannot come from behind to beat me. I was over confident. I believed I was winning the fight so there was no need to watch him closely. But all of a sudden, he toppled me and defeated me with a point. This is a bitter lesson for me to learn.
How many fights did you win to get to the finals and which was your toughest?
I fought three fights before getting to the finals and my toughest was my second fight. He is the owner of this weight. He is clearly the best. His name is Ismail, I think from Kano State. I respect his fighting skills. I adore the way he fights but he lost to me today 5-2.
What is your ambition as a fighter?
I have made a lot of sacrifices to get to this level and nothing is going to stop me from representing Nigeria. Honestly, my ambition is to win Olympic gold medal for Nigeria. Once I win an Olympic gold medal for Nigeria, I would resign. I have no other ambition and by the special grace of God, I am going to achieve this. I know I am a good fighter but like any other Nigerian athlete, lack of sponsor may be the major impediment in my way. All the same, by the special grace of God nothing is impossible. God can do all things. Once you believe you can, nothing stops you.