Sani Ndanusa claimed that Chukwumerije, 25, would be given all the help he needed as Nigeria seeks to win its first Olympic gold medal since Atlanta in 1996.

 

Ndanusa said: "Taekwondo is one of the areas that Nigeria has been excelling in, winning bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

 

"We look forward Chukwumerije winning gold in the event at the London 2012 Olympic Game."

 

Chukwumrije, the son prominent politician  Uche Chukwumerije, a former Nigerian Minister of Information, won his medal in the +80k kilogram, is currently training in Manchester, where he is also studying.

 

Jonathan Nnaji, the President of the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation, also picked out as Mohammed Isah as a potential medallist at London 2012 and is optimistic that more world-class fighters will soon follow them.

 

He said: "We have many Isahs and many Chukwumerijes presently.

 

"So, we are not working on one.

 

"Chika is a kind of man that is so focused and you don't even remind him to train.

 

"So, he keeps on training on his own.

 

"Presently, he is doing his masters [degree] in the UK and we always try to spy and find out what he is doing.

 

"Isah is also not relenting on his training.

 

"He is doing quite well and many of them all over Nigeria are being monitored.

 

"We make sure we have programmes and send coaches who are there to assess how they are progressing."