Elizabeth Anyanacho Ends Nigeria’s 20-Year Wait with Historic Bronze at World Taekwondo Championships

Africa’s top-ranked taekwondo athlete in the -67kg category, Elizabeth Anyanacho, has etched her name in history by winning a bronze medal at the ongoing World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi, China, marking Nigeria’s first medal at the event in two decades.

Anyanacho displayed outstanding skill and determination in the women’s -67kg category, defeating Uzbekistan’s Sobibronova Ozoda in two tightly contested rounds, 8–6 and 10–9, to secure her spot in the semi-finals and earn the historic medal.

Her achievement signals a major comeback for Nigeria in global taekwondo and comes at a time of renewed energy in the nation’s sports landscape, following the election of new sports federation executives, including Tayo Popoola, the new president of the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation.

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, praised Anyanacho for her resilience and world-class performance, describing the feat as a testament to Nigeria’s sporting revival.

> “Elizabeth Anyanacho has reminded the world that Nigeria’s sporting spirit is unbreakable. Her success in China is both a personal triumph and a national milestone, reflecting the positive results of our renewed commitment to athlete development and federation reforms. This medal ends a 20-year drought and ushers in a new era for Nigerian taekwondo,” Olopade stated.

The 26-year-old athlete from Nsukka, born on April 9, 1999, has built a reputation for breaking barriers in her career. She won bronze at the 2019 African Games, dominated the Nigeria Open in Abuja, and became the first Nigerian woman in 16 years to qualify for the Olympics in taekwondo at the Tokyo 2020 Games, following in the footsteps of Princess Dudu. She further cemented her legacy by winning gold at the 2024 African Games in Ghana.

With her latest victory, taekwondo joins the growing list of sports where Nigeria has made remarkable strides in 2025, alongside cricket, basketball, arm wrestling, badminton, and swimming — underscoring the nation’s steady resurgence on the international sporting scene.