Street Fighting Sparked My Journey Into Taekwondo — Delta Gold Medalist, Kolade
Delta State multiple gold medallist at the National Sports Festival, Paul Bright Kolade, has revealed that his passion for street fighting pushed him to become a Taekwondo athlete.
The highly-rated Kogi state-born Taekwondo star is a veteran in the National Sports Festival, having represented Delta State in the Games for 20 years.
Bright Kolade went down memory lane in an exclusive interview with The WHISTLER’S Taiwo Ibrahim, revealing how his passion for street fighting pushed him to become a successful Taekwondo athlete.
He said: “I love to fight always on the streets, searching for who to beat, and Grandmaster Jibrin Yero saw me playing Basketball, and he introduced me to Taekwondo knowing fully well that I also love street fighting, the sport has Kyorugi fight, poomsae/demonstration part, and I chose the fighting part to enable me continue my passion for fighting.”
Kolade has participated in six National Sports Festival games winning gold medals in the last four editions including one at the just-concluded Gateway Games in Abeokuta.
He attributed his successful run in the games to hard work, and God’s favour.
Kolade said: “My impressive performance is a reflection that hard work pays combined with God’s blessings. He has blessed the work of my hands. I’m so excited to continue my run of winning medals in the last four editions of the National Sports Festival.”
Kolade was part of the Delta State team that emerged winners of the 2024 National Sports Festival with 122 gold, 96 silver, and 105 bronze medals, totalling 337 medals.
Delta State have won the competition five consecutive times to further establish their dominance in the games. He attributed the state’s success to solid preparations.
Kolade said: “Delta State will continue to dominate the National Sports Festival because they provide proper arrangements, preparation with job opportunities, and the love for sports.
“I want to urge upcoming athletes to have passion for their chosen sports, eliminate excuses, and they need to be prepared to beat the champions before they can become champions while working hard, and believing in God.”
Kolade is also serving as a coach for the Delta State Taekwondo team while also participating as an athlete in the National Sports Festival.
The next National Sports Festival will be held in Enugu State in 2026.
Street Fighting Sparked My Journey Into Taekwondo — Delta Gold Medalist, Kolade is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
