Taekwondo in Mombasa is set for a major reboot following the election of new office bearers.
This is the first Mombasa County Taekwondo Association election ever after registration in January. The office holders since then had been on an interim basis.
The county lacks proper structures to nurture the talent despite boosting huge numbers of taekwondo pugilists. Mombasa becomes the first county in Kenya to successfully conduct taekwondo elections under the Sports Act framework.
Those elected for the next four years are chairman Dennis Ywaya, his vice Anthony Mwenda, secretary Joseph Makau, his assistant Dennis Karuga, treasurer Bernard Otieno, and his assistant Beatrice Njiwu. Others are competition director Suleiman Chengo, technical chairman Stanley Kinoti, athlete representative Rashid Juma and woman representative Grace Sidi.
“With proper leadership now in place, plans are underway to ensure structured growth, development, and sustainability of taekwondo in Mombasa County,” Secretary Makau said. He said they got support from the Mombasa County Government and called for more collaboration between the two entities.
“Kenya Taekwondo Federation (KTF) secretary general, George Wasonga, expressed optimism, saying the Mombasa County Taekwondo Association displayed maturity in the way they conducted themselves. “I have seen democracy, love and lots of brains. Those brains are the ones that will propel the sport to greater heights.
“What remains now is for them to work for the people of Mombasa. We need taekwondo to continue growing from the grassroots,” Wasonga said. Wasonga said without structures at the grassroots, taekwondo will not develop, adding that success is not an event but a process. Sports Registrar, Rose Wasike, lauded the Mombasa County Taekwondo Association for their discipline and effort. She, however, called on more women to take up leadership positions in sports.
Wasike said she was happy that some sports have women in top leadership positions in Kenya and that signals and departure from the days of old, where women were despised in sports.
by BRIAN OTIENO
