The Korean Cultural Centre (KCCN) is working towards promoting the Ssireum sport – Korean wrestling – in Nigerian schools because of its numerous benefits.
Ssireum is a traditional Korean wrestling sport that started in the 4th century. Wrestlers wear a belt and try to bring their opponent’s body above the knee to the ground.
Speaking at the end of a Ssireum competition organised by the KCCN in Abuja to celebrate this year’s Chuseok – traditionally celebrated to thank the heavens for a successful harvest, Gbolahan Ogunmuyiwa, the head coach of the Centre, said the sport has many benefits.
He said the sport had been reformed to allow all weight categories to participate, adding that: “Here, we have four categories; we divided the male category into two and the female category into two as well – heavy and light.
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While delivering his speech of welcome earlier, the Director of KCCN, Kim Changki, said the sport was once Korea’s most popular sport in the 80s and 90s.
At the end of the competition, Moses Amos (Federal Road Safety Corps) emerged as the winner in the male heavyweight category while Efemena Ovuarume of World of Faith Secondary School, Abuja won the female heavyweight category.
In the male lightweight category, Olanrewaju Abdulakeem (Nigeria Army) beat James Soadigo (Nigeria Police) in the final to become the winner while Martha Matins overcame Azazi Gift Miebi both from KCCN to emerge the winner in the female lightweight category.
