Mahama Cho
 Cho at the 206 Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 August 1989 (age 35) Ivory Coast |
| Height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in)[1] |
| Weight | 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Taekwondo |
| Coached by | Paul Green[2] |
Mahama Cho (born 16 August 1989) is a taekwondo practitioner who competes in the +80 kg category. Born in the Ivory Coast, he has represented both Great Britain and France at the sport.[3]
Early life and personal life
Abdoufata Cho Mahama was raised by his grandmother in the Ivory Coast; his father was abroad and his mother was unable to care for him.[4] A practising Muslim, he attended an Arabic school in Abidjan.[4] As a child Cho was bullied.[4]
Cho moved to London at the age of eight, at the request of his father.[4] Cho's father Zakaia was a former African taekwondo champion who was teaching the sport there whilst also driving taxis.[4] When he arrived in England, staying first in Kennington and then in Stockwell, Cho was unable to speak any English.[4] He lived with his father's new family, forming a particularly close friendship with his step-brother David.[4]
In 2014 he became engaged to French heptathlete Antoinette Nana Djimou.[4]
Football career
Cho played semi-professionally for Erith Town.[4] He trialled with Dagenham and Redbridge at the age of 16.[4] He gave up his football career at the age of 17 to focus on taekwondo.[4]
Taekwondo career
He joined the British taekwondo squad at the age of 17.[4] He was injured at the 2011 World Championships.[4] After that event he moved to Paris to study.[4] He joined the French taekwondo squad, winning gold at the 2013 Dutch and USA Opens.[4]
After returning to compete for Britain, at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix he won a gold medal in 2013,[5] and a silver medal in 2014.[6] In January 2016 he secured Britain their fourth and final qualifying place for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[7]
References
- ^ Mahama Cho. rio2016.com
- ^ Mahama Cho. nbcolympics.com
- ^ "Mahama Cho". GB Taekwondo. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Nick Hope (23 October 2014). "Mahama Cho: How taekwondo saved me from a life of bullying". BBC. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ Nick Hope (13 December 2013). "World Taekwondo Grand Prix: GB's Mahama Cho wins gold". BBC. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "World Grand Prix: Mahama Cho claims GB's first medal". BBC. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Rio 2016: Mahama Cho earns GB an Olympic place in +80kg category". BBC. 17 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
