Taekwondo brought home three of the four Olympic medals won by Côte d’Ivoire in the history of the Olympics. A consecration for this Korean martial art which arrived in the country in 1968 and which continues to attract vocations. In Paris, the hope of medals for Côte d’Ivoire will rest, once again, on its taekwondoists Cheikh Cissé and Ruth Gbagbi.
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From our special correspondent in Abidjan,
In front of their master, Lucien Christian Kragbé, 6th dan black belt, the young fighters religiously recite the taekwondo credo: “ Courtesy, intelligence, integrity, self-control. » Under the growing darkness in the commune of Koumassi in Abidjan, the disciples of Kragbé rehearse their scales on this Wednesday when the young students do not go to school in the afternoon. There are around thirty of them in this open-air courtyard within the Ineka club, which saw the birth of Ivorian Olympic champion Cheick Cissé. All kids dream of following in the footsteps of the man who brought Côte d’Ivoire its only gold medal at the Olympics (Rio 2016).
“ Cheick Cissé is the big brother who inspires us, confides Varius, 16 years old and already ten years of practicing taekwondo. I want to be a great champion and write my name in history by becoming world champion and Olympic champion. »
Former footballer, who played in Ivorian D2, Lucien Christian Kragbé flourished more in taekwondo. In the Ineka club, he has passionately trained “champions” like Cissé for more than twenty years. “ It is a great pride to have had Cheikh, who arrived here at the age of 10says Kragbé. We made him a competitor, we instilled in him the “fight” spirit. »
The love story between Ivory Coast and taekwondo began with the arrival, in 1968 in Abidjan, of a great Korean champion; Grandmaster Kim Young Tea, 9th dan black belt in taekwondo. With the help of a Frenchman already established in the country, he began teaching taekwondo in the land of the Elephants.
The legend, not fictionalized, says that most of those who were already doing karate or judo wanted to discover this new martial art. And the transplant was successful! So much so that the Ivorian Taekwondo Federation was born at the same time as the International Taekwondo Federation, established in May 1973.
“ Ivory Coast is the first country in Africa to discover taekwondo, the first country to host an international taekwondo event in 1979proudly recalls Anzoumana Siaka, 6th dan black belt in taekwondo and former secretary general of the Ivorian Taekwondo Federation.
“ We have been the locomotive of taekwondo in Africa. It was from the Ivory Coast that this spread throughout Black Africa and that other countries began to practice this discipline. », insists the man who is today director of the department responsible for the promotion and development of taekwondo at the Ivorian Sports and Cultural Center, a donation from South Korea.
Today, in Ivory Coast, taekwondo involves 28 departmental and regional leagues, 355 clubs across the country. “ In ten years, the number of licensees has increased from 16 000 to 46 203 people » (including 18% women), according to a 2020 study by the French Development Agency (AFD), making martial art the leading sport in the country in terms of number of licensees and sporting results ahead of football, athletics and basketball.
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The first medals won at the Rio Olympics by Cheick Cissé (gold) and Ruth Gbabi (bronze) aroused many vocations and allowed new “recruitments”, but the AFD notes that the success of taekwondo “ is partly due to the numerous reforms to professionalize the sector and democratize the practice of this martial art “. But also by the fact that “ taekwondo is seen as an educational tool in Ivorian societyto the point that an entire generation of senior Ivorian executives is taekwondoist “.
Georges Mezi, Ruth Gbabi’s first coach, confirms: “ Parents trust us and give us some responsibility in the child’s education. We try to give the values of humility and respect to the child and all these values, we cultivate them here at the Source. »
The Source is the name from the taekwondo club nestled in the commune of Koumassi, where Ruth Gbabi began her first strikes. Since 1999, Georges Mezi, 5th dan black belt, has provided his know-how to 250 licensees, the youngest of whom are four years old. Everyone dreams of having a destiny like Ruth Gbabi, who arrived at La Source at the age of 8 and who “ beat the boys “.
At the Paris Olympics, Ruth Gbabi and Cheick Cissé will still be present to chase new medals. They will be accompanied by the third Ivorian representative, Astan Bathily, African vice-champion (-73 kg) in 2021 and 2023.
