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Chika Chukwumerije

Chika Chukwumerije
Medal record
Representing  Nigeria
Men's taekwondo
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing +80kg
All-Africa Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Algiers +80kg
Silver medal – second place 2011 Maputo +80kg
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Abuja +80kg

Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije (born December 30, 1983) is a male taekwondo practitioner from Nigeria. The son of Nigerian politician Uche Chukwumerije, Chika first drew attention in 2003 during the qualifiers for the 2003 All-Africa Games, where he eventually won a bronze medal in the Heavyweight Male category. He qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but lost his first bout to Pascal Gentil, the eventual bronze medal winner. Nevertheless, after a period of intensive training that was funded by his father, he became one of Nigeria's best chances for a medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He won a gold medal at the 2007 All-Africa Games in the +80 kg class and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games soon after. Although he lost to eventual silver-medal winner Alexandros Nikolaidis in the semifinals of the +80kg event, he was entered into the repechage round of the tournament. Here, after defeating Akmal Irgashev of Uzbekistan he claimed a bronze medal in the event, Nigeria's third medal of the tournament. Four years later he competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but did not make it past his first bout.

Chukwumerije was born on December 30, 1983 in Nigeria. His father, Uche Chukwumerije, was a national senator and Information Minister of Nigeria. Chika had his primary education at St. Jude's Private School in Festac Town, Lagos and received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) in Nigeria in 2005. During this time he competed in taekwondo at three University Games held by the Nigerian University Games Association, winning bronze in 2000 and gold in 2002 and 2004. He first became a national champion in 2002 and held the title through 2011, undefeated in nine years.


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Wikipedia

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