Koforidua: The inaugural Chung Do Kwan and Deaf Empowerment Open Taekwondo Championship has ended in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital with 92 hearing-impaired students participating in the contest.

According to Ghana News Agency, the Chung Do Kwan Ghana Taekwondo in collaboration with the Eastern Regional National Sports Authority organised the event, which featured 72 female and 20 male students from Mampong and Koforidua Schools for the Deaf. They competed in various categories, including basic skills, board breaking ‘Gyeokpa’, forms ‘poomsae’, and sparring ‘Kyorugui’.

At the close of the championship, Christabel Ansah from the Mampong School for the Deaf won two gold medals in the basic female and 65kg divisions, with Harriet Amoah from the Koforidua School for the Deaf securing gold in the female ‘Kyorugui’ 56kg category. Leticia Oboh, also from the Koforidua School for the Deaf, won two gold medals in ‘Gyeokpa’ and ‘Poomsae’ categories.

The male side saw Gerard Bempah Duah winning gold in the 54kg category, Emmanuel Obeng receiving gold in the 58kg division, and Gabriel Amoah earning gold in ‘Gyeokpa’, with Collins Kwaku also taking home gold in the ‘Poomsae’ category. All the winners are from the Koforidua School for Deaf.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency on the side-lines of the closing session of the championship in Koforidua, Master Raphael Sylvanus Akoto, the President of Chung Do Kwan Ghana Taekwondo, explained that the contest was designed to help build self-confidence in the participants. He stated that building self-confidence is crucial for enhancing individual motivations, and that taekwondo is a valuable tool for children’s development.

Master Akoto highlighted that taekwondo offers opportunities for fitness, leadership skills, and improved social interactions, thereby supporting holistic growth in multiple dimensions. Additionally, he mentioned that the championship was intended to foster emotional responses and behaviours promoting health, strength, and physical activity, further improving the attentiveness, focus, and concentration of the hearing-impaired in building and improving healthy lifestyles.