African, National Champions storm Olympic camp for Anyanacho

Former African middle-weight female champion, Uzoamaka Otuadinma, has landed Abuja alongside four other established national champions for a one-week long fight camp with Tokyo 2021 Olympics-bound Elizabeth Anyanacho.


The fight camp will hold between May 3 and 8, 2021 and is being organised by three-time Olympian and Beijing 2008 Olympic medalist Chika Chukwumerije to provide competitive experiences for Anyanacho after the cancellation of the Austrian Open and postponement of the Beirut Open.


The Austrian Open was to hold May 29 to 30, 2021 before it was cancelled due to covid-19 concerns while the postponed Beirut Open is re-scheduled to hold on June 20, 2021. 
The changes forced Elizabeth’ technical crew to present a competitive solution to Elizabeth’s initial competitive schedule for May.


Other champions to participate in the Olympic fight camp include former African bronze medalist and national heavyweight champion, Juliet Dennis; national welterweight female champion Judith Usifoh, national featherweight female champion Helen Okoko, and national featherweight male champion, Ifeoluwa Ajayi.
Joining the fray will be top welter weight competitor and 2018 Nigeria Taekwondo Open Gold Medalist, Peter Itiku, who has been Elizabeth’s sparring partner and teammate since she began her preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.


The fight camp will also bolster preparations for the African Taekwondo Championships, holding in Dakar Senegal June 5 to 6, 2021. 
All the invited females, apart from Judith Usifoh who is in the same category as Elizabeth Anyanacho, are registered to compete at the African tourney, subject to the availability of funding.
Funds raised through public donations for Elizabeth Anyanacho are being used to finance the logistics of the training camp.


The 22-year-old Statistics undergraduate of the Federal University of Technical Owerri who qualified for the Olympics on January 24, 2020 has depended on the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) scholarship and generosity of Nigerians to support her preparations so far.
Elizabeth Anyanacho will be fighting on June 26, 2021 at the Taekwondo event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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