Gabon: Lacking competition, taekwondo practitioners enhance their martial art in Port-Gentil

It is a first for Port-Gentil. On March 9th, the economic capital hosted the 1st edition of the Open de Port-Gentil at the gymnasium of the sports and cultural association of Total Energies Gabon (ASSCTEG). More than a dozen clubs participated in this sports meeting dedicated to warming up the athletes including MTC, Fighter Taekwondo, Assctg, Impact, GTC, Ndzime family, Espoir Académie, and Yong Taekwondo.

“I organized this open because this province made me the Gabonese international that I am, you have to be grateful towards your origins. Yes, there is a lack of competitions in the province, so we decided to organize this to get the youth warmed up,” said Me Ibrahim Sackalat Diallo, project coordinator.

If Gabonese observers of this Korean combat sport believe that the lack of competitions is the cause of the athletes’ decline in form and does not promote the proper physical and technical development of participants, they still appreciate the quality of the competition and the collective learning of defense techniques.

For Me Sackalat Diallo, “the level is very good, we are not going to lie, taekwondo in Port-Gentil is declining. This kind of competition is simply to raise the level. The next edition will be even bigger.”

This Open de Port-Gentil, the first of its kind in the economic capital, comes at a time when the country is struggling to organize major tournaments for the development of national athletes. With 32 athletes, including two women from diverse backgrounds to bring a special touch to this event, this experience promotes their warm-up and develops new skills in them for a high-performing taekwondo at the national level.

Five finals were played, including one for women, before the eight semi-finals. The categories chosen were -58 kg, -68kg, -80kg, and +80 kg. Participants had two rounds of two minutes to qualify for the next round, and a third round was necessary for the same duration of combat in case of a tie.

Jean Jacques Rovaria Djodji