The Africa Sports Passion in collaboration with the Centre Regional league of taekwondo will from December 4th to 6th be organizing an international open taekwondo tournament dubbed, “Sourires d’afrique”.

The information was made public by the president of ASP, Jean Marie Awona in a press conference in Yaounde on Friday October 9th. Fielding questions from journalists, Jean Marie Awona said the tournament which is going to be in its second edition, is just to give visibility to their principal activity which is trying to combine sports with studies.

He said many high-level athletes in Cameroon are not educated which makes reconversion difficult for them after retiring from active service or when they fail to make a career from the chosen sports discipline.

Hence, the need for athletes to be educated so as to be able to reconvert to other professions after leaving sports or to be able to make a career in another domain in case of failure to make it in sports.

He said their target groups are children from three to 17 years and the tournament is opened only to students from Cameroon and abroad. Jean Marie Awona said in the six years of existence of ASP, the association has nurtured athletes who now have the first school leaving certificate.

Organisers will take care of the lodging and feeding of participants. The association has organized several tournaments in the past namely; the family tournament in 2010, inter school championship in 2011, the friendship tournament in 2013, Noel en dobok as well as the first edition of the Yaounde open international tournament.

In a related development, the taekwondo federation will be organizing the Cup of Cameroon matches on October 23rd and 24th. According to a communiqué signed by the president of the federation will also be organizing activities for the promotion of grades from the first to the 4th Dan, kukkiwon across the national territory.