November 30, (THEWILL) – The abuse case against Nigerian Olympic medalist Chika Chukwumerije has been closed by World Taekwondo because the Olympian has retired from the sport.
The 38-year-old, who won a bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight division at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, had been accused of abusing female athletes. But, Chukwumerije, who is the technical director of the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation (NTF), vehemently disputed the claims.
After an investigation by the World Taekwondo Integrity Committee, he was ordered to pursue safeguarding education “via a recognised and approved institution or programme” while the NTF was also advised to “put in place approved protective measures” to forestall recurrence.
Chukwumerije also had a libel case against him dismissed by Nigeria’s High Court in May. His decision to abandon the sport to pursue a career in engineering, however, means he is no longer under the jurisdiction of World Taekwondo.
The global governing body of Taekwondo said: “The World Taekwondo Integrity Committee carefully reviewed the case against Chika Chukwumerije and the court decision of 31 May 2021 and mandated that pending the outcome of Mr Chukwumerije’s appeal, the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation must put in place approved protective measures and Mr Chukwumerije must undertake safeguarding education via a recognised and approved institution or programme.
“Now that Mr Chukwumerije has decided to leave the sport, World Taekwondo has no authority over him and so under Article 3.3(D) of the Disciplinary Actions and Appeals Code, the case against him has been closed.
“Should he decide at any point in the future to return to the sport and therefore once again come under World Taekwondo’s purview, the case against him would be immediately reopened and the necessary action would be taken.”
Chukwumerije is Nigeria’s only Olympic taekwondo medalist. He won the event at the African Games in Algiers in 2007 and competed in the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and London in 2012
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
