World Taekwondo vice-president Issaka Ide was honoured at ANOCA's 40th anniversary celebration ©World Taekwondo

World Taekwondo vice-president Issaka Ide has been awarded the Order of Merit of Africa by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).

Ide, who is also the President of the Niger National Olympic and Sports Committee (COSNI), received the honour at ANOCA’s 40th anniversary celebration in Nigerian capital Abuja.

The Order of Merit of Africa was presented in the presence of Sport Ministers from Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana and Egypt.

Ide was invited to the ceremony in his capacity as Acting President of World Taekwondo Africa and received the award in recognition of his commitment to promoting African taekwondo.

He is the only candidate running for the position of President of World Taekwondo Africa at the elections which are due to be staged on October 10.

Issaka Ide, left, has been President of the Niger National Olympic and Sports Committee since 2015 ©World Taekwondo
Issaka Ide, left, has been President of the Niger National Olympic and Sports Committee since 2015 ©World Taekwondo

In 2019, Ide received the order of sporting merit from Prime Minister of Niger Birgi Rafani Niger on behalf of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.

Ide, who has been on the World Taekwondo Council since 2009 and was previously head of the Niger Taekwondo Federation, was elected as President of the COSNI in 2015.

Niger secured the second medal of its Olympic history at the Rio 2016 Games where Abdoul Razak Issoufou clinched taekwondo silver in the men’s over-80 kilogram division.

At Tokyo 2020, Niger entered seven athletes but failed to pick up a medal.