IKPO IGBINOBA
With barely three years to the Tokyo Olympics, Taekwondoist Thursdaline Peter has only one item on her mind and that is the sports summit billed for the oriental nation.
Thursdaline has put every other ambition aside and is pursuing with single- minded determination the dream of appearing at the Tokyo Olympics.
She told PM EXPRESS exclusively in Lagos that “My big dream today is the Tokyo Olympics taking place in 2020, that is almost three years away”.
And she declared with a tone of certainty “I must be in Tokyo for the Games because it had always been my dream to participate in the Olympics”.
Indeed the ambition to attend sports’ biggest spectacle was the fuel that fired Thursdaline’s interest in Taekwondo when she embraced the sport in 2004.
According to her “I always had the dream of representing my country at the Olympics and when I took to Taekwondo in 2004, I believed that someday I would represent my country at the Games”.
She gave the sport her all, going through spells of self denial to achieve her goal. Unfortunately, by the time she dropped out of competitive Taekwondo, Thursdaline won every laurel available on the domestic scene and attended the All Africa Games in 2011,but the Olympic dream remained a mission-impossible.
Having lost out as an athlete, Thursdaline refused to give up on her Olympic dream. Now, she is determined to make it to the Games as a referee. And so far, the omens are looking positive for her.
Though she started refereeing in 2012 by officiating in kiddies’ events,Thursdaline has already carved a niche for herself as an arbiter on the big stage.
During her Referee refresher course in Côte d’Ivoire last year, Thursdaline won the coveted prize of the most outstanding referee.
That distinction earned her invitations to officiate in the 23rd edition of the World Taekwondo Championship in Muju, South Korea from June 24-30, 2017 and Chuncheon Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships from July 2-7, 2017.
At both events, Thursdaline earned the banner headlines with her stellar performance and prizes as an outstanding referee.
Having excelled at these events, Thursdaline seems within reach of her Olympic ambition.
But she is wise enough not to be complacent and rest on her present laurels.
She noted “Having officiated at the World Championships this year, the only field left to conquer as a referee is the Olympics,but then I shouldn’t take things for granted.
“I have to be busy, officiating at different championships around the world and attending courses so as to be abreast of developments in the sport.
“It is only then I can earn an invitation to the Olympics. So there is a lot of work to be done”.
Without a doubt, Thursdaline who is just 31 years is on course to achieving her Olympic dream for herself and for her nation for to date, no Nigerian has officiated at the Games.
History beckons this ambitious patriot.