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*Should Pregnant Taekwondo Champion have been allowed to compete at the Poomsae event at the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival?*

_*By Chika Chukwumerije*_

On 5th April 2021, Aminat Idrees representing Lagos State competed in the Poomsae event in Taekwondo. She won gold medal in the pair event, silver in the team event and bronze in the individual event.

Her performance became national and international news because she was pregnant and kick-started a passionate debate about if she should have competed.

I was not in Edo but many reached out to hear my opinion on the matter. So, here I go.

*What is Poomsae*

For purposes of clarity, the kyorugi event involves contact and fighting between two opponents but the *poomsae event is non-contact* and involves a series of synchronized demonstrated moves.

In accordance with WT Poomsae rules, each performed poomsae should not last more than 90s.

Aminat performed a total of six poomsaes in three events – individual, pair and team event, where she bagged a trilogy of medals.

In essence, she demonstrated taekwondo moves for less than a total of *nine minutes* spread across five hours.

I will try to use the following questions as guidelines to offer a factual and proper response:


*The Questions:*

I. Should Aminat been allowed to compete?

II. What do the competition rules say?

III. What do the medical guidelines say?

IV. Is it a technical or medical decision?

V. Who has the responsibility of making that decision?


*The Reference documents:*

The three guiding documents are as follows:

a. Olympic Movement [WT] Medical Code

b. World Taekwondo [WT] Medical Code

c. World Taekwondo [WT] Poomsae Rules & Competition Interpretation

Attached to this message are the three highlighted documents

*What the Documents Say?*

1. The World Taekwondo Poomsae rules and competition interpretation are used to organize poomsae competitions. The book’s “purpose is to fairly and smoothly manage all matters pertaining to Poomsae competitions at all levels promoted and/or organized by the World Taekwondo Federation, and its Continental Unions and member National Associations, ensuring the application of standardized rules. [Article 1 | page 1]

Article 4 of the World Taekwondo Poomsae Rules lists the eligibility/ qualification of athletes to compete in the poomsae event. [page 8]

This article is clearly a technical guide and has no medical eligibility requirements. These requirements are left to the WT Medical Code, which in turn adopts the Olympic Movement Medical Code.


2. Perusing through the World Taekwondo Medical code, the document also does not ban a pregnant woman from participating, but it clearly gives responsibility to the Team Doctor / Team Medical Staff to “Advise on withdraw from the competition if the athlete is not medically fit to compete due to an injury or illness or *there is any concern for safety of the athlete*.” [Article 7.3 D. IV no 5| page 8]


In other words, it is a medical decision, not a technical decision “if there is any concern for the safety of the athlete.”; and this responsibility belongs to the Team Doctor.



3. Article 1.1 of the World Taekwondo Medical Code clearly adopts the Olympic Movement Medical Code.

“Effective as of April 6, 2018, the World Taekwondo (“WT”) adopts the Olympic Movement Medical Code in force from March 31, 2016. In accordance with the Olympic Movement Medical Code, the WT publishes this World Taekwondo Medical Code” [page 1]

So, it is important to also investigate if the Olympic Movement Medical Codes bans a pregnant woman from competing.

4. In laying guidelines for the relationship between athletes and their health care providers, Article 1.6 of the Olympic Movement Medical Code details the responsibilities of the health care providers in ensuring the safety and medical health of the athletes [page 6]


It places the medical health and safety of the athlete as one of the *principal duties of the Health Care Provider* of the athlete, while encouraging “all stakeholders to take measures to ensure that sport is practiced to minimize harm to the health of the athletes and with respect for fair play and sports ethics.” [page 3]”


5. Based on existent rules of engagement, the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation Technical Officials at the Edo 2020 festival rightly accepted the written Understanding of the States that presented its pregnant athletes for the poomsae event, which is backed by Article 1.6 of the Olympic Movement Medical Code and Article 1.1 of the World Taekwondo Medical Code, which empowers the Health Care Provider and Team Medical Team to vouch for the medical safety of the athlete.


*Follow-Up Arguments*

6. The NHS in UK notes that “If you were not active before you got pregnant, do not suddenly take up strenuous exercise.” https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/

*Aminat Idress is an elite athlete that has practiced poomsae forms for most of her life and competes regularly. She got married during the period of constant postponement of the NSF and subsequently got pregnant. Throughout the period, she kept on training consistently, as poomsae as a way of life for her. Most certainly, she was active before her pregnancy and has remained active throughout her pregnancy.*

7. The NHS further advise that “do not take part in contact sports where there's a risk of being hit, such as kickboxing, judo or squash”

Poomsae is not a contact event. It is a series of patterns and movies [see forwarded video of Aminat performing the event].

8. The NHS also notes that “Exercise is not dangerous for your baby. There is some evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour.”

I saw CNN’s Facebook post on Aminat and followed with fascination some testimonies from women who had similar experiences in the comments section.

https://web.facebook.com/5550296508/posts/10161897696076509/?sfnsn=scwspwa&_rdc=1&_rdr

Here are some of them:

Jaime S Tucker
She’s great. I did martial arts until 33 weeks pregnant with my 2nd, and until my doctor said it was to much. Just listen to your body, and know when it’s time. Considering I had preeclampsia with my first I really martial arts helped me with that my 2nd round.

Laura Bustos
�‍♀‍ duh we're not some fragile little flower. I was training to kill the whole time I was pregnant with my first lol.

Linda Manning
Good for her!!!
She knows what her body is capable doing, plus she had the approval of her doctor. Keyboard doctors have nothing to do with her body.

Katie McDaniel-Ruiz
I’m currently 8 months pregnant and all I can manage are laps in the pool every day. This woman is amazing!

Ashley Conklin
Amazing! I did Orange Theory 3-4x a week until 39 weeks. Exercise is amazing for pregnancy. I gained a healthy amount of weight and felt great!

Most notably, the bulk of persons expressing shock wrongly thought it was contact taekwondo.

9. Some persons maliciously pointed the finger of debunked pregnancy doping conspiracies at her.

The myth of pregnancy doping does not extend to a woman in her third trimester. It is the first trimester that “a woman’s body produces a natural surplus of red blood cells, which are well supplied with oxygen-carrying hemoglobin, in order to support the growing fetus.”

So, the other end of conversation about Idrees having an advantage because of her advanced pregnancy certainly does not stand up to even the hotly debated theories of pregnancy doping.



10. Article 1.5.5 of the Olympic Movement Medical Code clearly states that “Athletes have the right to be treated with dignity in accordance with their culture, tradition and values.”

The WT Poomsae competition rules do not stop her from competing. The WT Medical Codes gives the Team Doctor the responsibility to determine if she can compete. The Olympic Movement Medical Code tasks the health care provider on ensuring it is safe for the athlete to compete. The code also covers Aminat’s right to self-determination.

*In Conclusion*, I will end by answering the questions first posed:

I. Should Aminat been allowed to compete?
*Yes, as long as her health care providers allowed it.*

II. What do the competition rules say?
*Aminat met the eligibility criteria from a technical POV.*

III. What do the medical guidelines say?
*it gives responsibility to her health care providers.*

IV. Is it a technical or medical decision?
*Medical Decision*

V. Who has the responsibility of making that decision?
*Her Team Medical Crew*

At this point, one must note that pregnancy is not an injury, neither is it an illness.

No Federation should have an interest in trampling on the rights of female athletes, especially when all rules of reference documents are followed.

Despite personal opinions, mine included, Aminat certainly was within her rights to compete as long as the above boxes has been ticked.

I publicly congratulate Aminat Idrees for, not only competing at the Poomsae event of the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival, but winning a trilogy of medals; including a gold, silver and bronze medal.

She must have worked hard for this result, in a sport event that she clearly loves. I wish her a successful delivery even as she celebrates her remarkable achievement.

*Join a Taekwondo Club & Learn Poomsae Today*

Poomsae is a beautiful event that is fun to learn and can be done by even a 100-year-old person.

Its beautiful movements help improve breathing, coordination, focus, flexibility and general fitness while teaching you some self-defense moves.

Please, you can try sign up to a Taekwondo club near you to start practicing and enjoying the numerous benefits of Taekwondo Poomsaes.

Have a lovely weekend and please stay safe.

*Engr. Chika Chukwumerije* _OLY, MNSE_

_*Olympic Medalist*_