By Eniwoke Ibagere
ABUJA (Reuters) - Her finger on a computer mouse, Nigerian and African taekwondo women’s champion Princess Dudu clicks away as she scours the internet for information on her rivals.
It is all part of the daily training for the heavyweight fighter as she prepares for the August 13-29 Olympic Games in Athens.
"I love the internet and using it has helped me to get the better of my opponents during fights," Dudu told Reuters in Abuja after a training session.
"Any information on my opponents is useful...even things like their diet, hobbies, likes and dislikes. I’m sure all these will help me in Athens when I face my rivals on the mat."
Taekwondo, a Korean martial art turned sport, featured as a demonstration event at both the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
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It was included as an Olympic medals competition for the first time in Sydney in 2000 and Nigeria will make its debut appearance in the event in Athens.
FAMILY RESISTANCE
Dudu’s first contact with the sport was in 1998 at university in Nigeria, where she was reading law.
"I was fascinated by the all-white outfit of the fighters. I also found intriguing the way the competitors shout when they charge at each other," said the 24-year-old Dudu.
But she faced resistance from her family who wanted her to concentrate on her law studies rather than "fighting with my legs and fists".
"An uncle lawyer insisted I play tennis. But my mind was made up because I’m a stubborn and determined person, attributes I show during my fights," Dudu said.
Her doggedness and creativity, useful tools in taekwondo, prompted her to turn to the internet to find out more about her opponents.
"I once visited the World Taekwondo Federation Web site and saw lots of information. Internet access is generally limited in Nigeria but I was determined to succeed."
NATIONAL TITLE
A recent survey by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation showed that only one in every 100,000 people had internet access in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, giving it the lowest rating in Africa.
Dudu gained fame in 2001 when she won gold at the Nigerian Universities’ Games and followed up soon afterwards with the national title.
Early last year, she won the Korean Challenge Cup title when the national team toured Asia and last October she took gold at the 2003 African Games in Abuja.
In January in Cairo, she clinched one of Africa’s qualifying tickets to compete in Athens after beating rivals from hosts Egypt, Lesotho and Kenya.
Dudu admits the tournament in Athens will be tough as she will face the might of defending champion Lee Sun-hee of South Korea and medal contenders such as Sarah Stevenson of Britain and Croatia’s Natasa Vezymar.
"But I know I’m fit and strong and my ace will be using the internet to study my rivals," she said.
