The We Support Nia Blog

President of National School of Martial Arts Supports Nia Abdallah

2008-09-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

"I watched the video several times and i must say yes you won without a doubt. Also after watching the Olympics I have to wonder exactly what the rules really are... and yes, i do believe you would have been the better choice to bring gold back to the USA."

Joe Giampietro, President NSMA
www.nsmataekwondo.com

Mr. Giampietro is a 40 year veteran of the martial arts and has been a very successful competitor and demonstrator as well as one of the most respected Master Instructors in this country. His ability to relay complicated techniques to his students is a key factor in their ability to excel in Local, National and International Competitions. He has trained and taught in the USA and Asia. He is one of only a few US instructors to operate Martial Arts Schools in Okinawa Japan. He is also the Texas State Director for the United States National Taekwondo Federation. Master Joe was awarded "USNTF Instructor of the Year 2001" by Grand Master Duk Gun Kwon, President of the United States National Taekwondo Federation. " I am a true believer in the Magic of Motivation" Grand Master Joe Giampietro

How to Handle Disappointment by Nia Abdallah

2008-09-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

You shouldn’t ever let yourself ever get disappointed in life. The direct meaning of disappointed is thwarted in hope or desire. There is only one person in the world that can take away your HOPE or DESIRE and that is yourself. Life is all about how you look at it. Like the old saying says, “ Do you look at the glass as half full or half empty?”. Just because your hope or desire does not come true at the moment you want it to, does not mean I will never happen, unless make it not happen in your mind. Disappointments in life, if you want to call it that, are just struggles that you must go through in order for you to become a better person.

In Chinese the symbol for struggle is the same as the symbol for opportunity. I find that interesting and enlightening. If you really think about it, in every struggle that you have ever been in you have came out of it with a new outlook in life. You came out of a better person. Struggle or disappointments are there to MAKE you find an opportunity that you would not look for if everything was okay. Everything happens for a reason in life. I look at everything as a learning experience. In fact everyday can be a learning experience.

All you have to do is open your mind to it. When things do not go your way just make yourself say “What can I do better next time so it will not happen again?”. Even if things do go your way say “What more can I do to make it even better then now?”. Life is all about what you feed your mind. Positive attitudes can only bring you positive outcomes. The oldest book in the world (The Bible) says in Matthew 17: 20 that if you tell the mountain to go into the sea and you believe with all your heart, it will come true. The key to that is that you must believe with all of your heart. That’s how I try to live in the best and worst moments of my life.

Nia Nicole Abdallah
“love your life, so you can live your life”

THANK YOU FROM THE PARENTS OF NIA ABDALLAH

2008-08-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

The Olympics are over and The USA Taekwondo Team are back on American soil which means the fight is not over. This letter is not about the Lopez’s but a Thank You letter to all of you who have supported Nia and our family in time of need. The old saying that says evil will triumph when good people stand and do nothing is so true and thank God all of you are righteous people because you showed us how much you cared, by doing something to correct a wrong. Rhonda and I can not thank each and every one of you enough. We ask that you continue to pray for us as we will do the same for you all. So just remember a lie is always hidden in dark places and will not stand forever but the truth is the light and it is eternal.

Thank you,
Thomas and Rhonda Duhart
Nia Abdallah Parents
wesupportnia.blogspot.com

A Letter of Support for Nia Abdallah

2008-08-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Nia,

I recently came across your blog, I watched the video of your sparring match with Diana Lopez. I have been in Taekwondo for 18 years, Im 3rd Dan and I have been a certified judge and referee. From my point of view and the cameras point of view, more than anything all of your kicks on her head gear DID NOT count. Which was unbelieveable.

I proud of how you are supporting Taekwondo the "right way". What happened to the tradition of Taekwondo? The honor and respect. I know what is RIGHT is not if you WIN or LOSE but to what is fair. I also want to change the way the world sees Taekwondo.

Keep on aiming high.

Sincerely,

In Christ,
~Janice Courtney

Lopez takes fight to taekwondo federation? What?! PLEASE COMMENT!!

2008-08-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

(Editors Note: Now it has been a rarity that we would give ample space for an article featuring the Lopez family but we felt this recent article presented a special occasion. Our team of bloggers will be addressing this article real soon but for now we highlighted some interesting quotes. PLEASE READ IT AND LEAVE US YOUR THOUGHTS NOW! Remember the old saying, what goes around.....)

Lopez takes fight to taekwondo federation
By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
Posted August 22, 2008

BEIJING – With taekwondo already rumored to be on the brink of Olympic elimination, the sport was doing everything it could to avoid even the slightest shock of controversy.

On Friday, it was struck by lightning.

In a chaotic episode that might ultimately prove to be the tipping point to Olympic doom, American two-time defending gold medalist Steven Lopez was eliminated from gold-medal contention on a controversial referee’s decision. Lopez would go on to win bronze in the 80-kilogram weight class, but not until after his team leader, Herb Perez, had filed a protest and then ripped the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) for intimidation and gross mismanagement of the sport’s rules and oversight.

“When (poor judging) happens to you, you’re told to shut up and not say anything because of what will happen to you, or what will happen to the sport,” Perez said. “If this is truly what taekwondo is about, maybe taekwondo shouldn’t be in the Olympics. Maybe they should fix it.”

Perez was furious after a string of events that began when Lopez – who hadn’t lost a match since 2002 – was docked one point in his quarterfinal match against Mauro Sarmiento. A referee determined Lopez had used a “cut kick,” which is essentially kicking away an opponent’s blow below the waist. Perez maintained that Lopez had merely raised his left leg in defense on the foul, and Sarmiento had kicked into Lopez’s leg in an attempt to draw a point deduction.

Lopez’s lost point cut his 2-1 lead into a 1-1 tie in the third and final period of the match. He eventually lost in sudden-death overtime.

What came next had the WTF scrambling on the defensive as Perez came out with some serious allegations. First, he said the protest wasn’t properly handled – that the Olympic Competition Supervisory Board didn’t respond for 45 minutes, well outside of the allotted 15 minutes typically allowed. Second, Perez said they were given little explanation as to why their protest had been deemed “unacceptable.”

“Unacceptable could mean anything from we didn’t file the papers properly to we didn’t use the right color pencil,” Perez said. “… Under the WTF competition rules, we should have been notified about the decision, the criteria, the methodology used, what evidence was presented,and what referees were reviewing it. We were not.”

But that wasn’t even the bombshell. Perez said that, in a June taekwondo conference, the heads of the 25 teams which attended were asked to sign an agreement not to file any protests at these Olympic Games in hopes of avoiding a controversy that could further put the sport’s Olympic future in jeopardy.

“We were manhandled,” Perez said. “We were threatened not to protest at this event. I think that needs to be said. We were made to sign a document not to protest for the betterment of taekwondo. It was a very big thing. There was a table, you went up to the table, (and) you signed the document. You signed it in front of the secretary general (of the WTF) and you gave him the document.”

Perez said he was approached again by WTF officials on Friday after his protest was denied. This time, Perez said, they were asking him not to speak to the press.

“I was asked to compromise (again) five minutes ago,” he said. “They said, ‘Don’t tell anyone.’ The head of the WTF came to me and said, ‘Don’t speak to the press.’ The secretary general said, ‘Don’t do this.’ (Secretary General Jin Suk) Yang and (WTF president Chungwon) Choue said, ‘Herbert, don’t do this. Think about the future.’ ”

The WTF’s director of public relations, Seok-Jae Kang, vehemently denied coaches had signed a “no protest” pact, calling the claim “nonsense.”
“It is not an agreement. I would call it a resolution,” Kang said. “A resolution on fair play. … It was ‘Do your best to ensure fair play and judging.’ Appealing is up to them. It’s their right and their rule. They can appeal.

“Ask him the right wordings (on what he signed).”

Kang said officials from the WTF were not prepared to respond on Friday night, but pointed to a June release on the body’s Web site, which touted “Participants in WTF Olympic Coach Seminar Adopt Resolution on Fair Play.” The release lists some lines from a document signed by coaches at the event, including an agreement that signees would “respect and accept the judgment and decisions of the refereeing and technical officials in all taekwondo competitions.”

Clearly, Perez believed that to mean that coaches were being leaned upon not to protest at the Olympics. But Kang said that interpretation was “a matter of opinion.” Another coach, Iran’s Kiarash Bahri, didn’t attend the June meeting, but he said he was never told explicitly not to protest.

“The WTF wanted everybody to have more self-control, and if they want to make a protest, take the correct procedure actually, not to jump up and down and make a ruckus, raise a lot of noise,” Bahri said. “Take the correct procedure to go about it, file the complaint and then they’ll decide. But it wasn’t like, ‘Don’t make a protest.’ ”

The ugliness marred an otherwise positive story for taekwondo, which had seen a generous amount of coverage as Lopez and his two siblings, Mark and Diana, had captured medals in their respective weight classes.Diana Lopez took bronze in the 57-kilogram weight class.

“(WTF officials) don’t think about the repercussions until after they make a mistake,” Steven Lopez said. “They know the power we have as a family and bringing limelight to our sport. By no means do I want to bring this sport down. I love this sport. But sometimes in any sport there are judges, there are politics involved. Unfortunately, there’s not supposed to be that in any of the sports, but you see it all the time. Whether it be gymnastics, boxing, it happens.

“There are bad calls all the time. This is one of the times that it happened to me. It normally doesn’t, but it happened. It sucks.”

Article reposted from http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/taekwondo/news?slug=cr-lopez082208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns" target"=_blank">http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/taekwondo/news?slug=cr-lopez082208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Over 90% of voters in online poll say Nia Abdallah beat Diana Lopez!

2008-08-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who took part in the online poll that was developed on this blog. The results showed that after watching the full Olympic Trial match fight between Nia Abdallah and Diana Lopez, over 90 percent voted Nia the winner!

All we want to know is, what fight were those mere 34 "No's" looking at!

The Parents Corner

2008-08-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today, August 20 at 10PM CST, Diana Lopez will be unjustly representing the United States in Beijing in Taekwondo Olympic Competition. If you were the parents of Nia Abdallah, how would you feel at this very moment knowing that your daughter is the best and most qualified fighter and should be there right now but was robbed? Well, they lean on their spiritual foundation and have encouraged their highly spiritual daughter to keep her trust in God.

They encourage all Blog readers to go and read the following and fitting passages in the Bible.

Proverbs 16:18 and Psalms 37

Want to send the family an encouraging word? Email them at: wesupportnia@gmail.com.

Support from the US Virgin Islands! Read Comment!

2008-08-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

People from all over the world are speaking out against the injustice faced by Nia Abdallah. Read this letter that was sent to her from the U.S. Virgin Islands:

"Oss! Nia please let me congratulate you for a job well done. I had a chance to watch the kumite and without a doubt victory is yours. My Name is Master Roy J.Faulkner I am a martial artist as well, I am the founder and chief instructor of Faulkner's Unified Jujitsu School of Martial Arts here in the U.S. Virgin Islands. My school and I express a Big Oss! to you. May you continue to be victorious in all your endeavors, and may God's richest blessing continue to be with you. "

Best regards,
Master Roy J. Faulkner
St.Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Would Diana Lopez appear on Sports Radio 610 with Nia Abdallah?

2008-08-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

A huge queastion was posed by the hosts of the Sports Radio 610am Sunday Block Party, Bobby Z. and Lesbian Craig on August 17. They have sent out an open invitation to Diana Lopez and her family to appear on their show along with Nia Abdallah and her family to have a dialogue about the injustice that Nia feels she faced. The question is would they be willing to do it?

"We are going to make some calls and reach out because after watching this video of Nia vs Diana, I think we need to hear from the Lopez family", said Lesbian Craig. "As show host we are suppose to be non-biased in our interviews but after the watching this fight, its hard not to be. Nia is scoring points left and right."

"What happen to Nia is not what the Olympics is suppose to be about", said Bobby Z.

Nia Abdallah commented that "if you can get Diana on the show I would come back. But these question is would she be willing to come."

The hot hour long interview drew several callers who were in support of Nia Abdallah as the winner and wanted to see more action taken. The co-hosts watched the fight during the show as well with "play-by-play" jokingly commentary as Nia landed kick after kick to Diana's head and body.

"I honestly don't know the point system but I do see Nia going upside her head and no points being scored", added Bobby Z.

The co-hosts then asked Nia to describe how it felt to win a silver medal in 2004. "Honestly I was really upset that I did not win the gold medal so I was crying. Looking back I wish I had not been so upset so I could have enjoyed the moment. Because I know others saw it as a great feat, and it was, but I didn't fully take it in because I wanted to win the gold. It does feel good to know that I will always be an Olympian forever."

Her step father, Thomas Duhart Jr. said "It was emotional for Nia in 2004 because she had the U.S. flag with her that belongedto her grandfather, who she has promised she would win the Olympics. So she was thinking about him. But we were so proud of her and that was an unbelieveable feeling to see her get that medal."

"We are so proud of Nia", said her mother Rhonda Duhart. "she worked so hard, even after having a baby, to prepare herself to win in Beijing. She is a wonderful daughter."

DO YOU THINK DIANA LOPEZ SHOULD APPEAR ON THE SPORTS RADIO 610AM SHOW ONCE SHE RETURNS FROM BEIJING? Leave a comment here or email Lesbian Craig at lesbiancraig@yahoo.com

LISTEN TO NIA ABDALLAH ON THE SPORTS BLOCK PARTY RADIO SHOW TONIGHT!!!!

2008-08-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

LISTEN LIVE NOW AS NIA ABDALLAH AND HER STEP FATHER THOMAS DUHART JR. MAKES A GUEST APPEARANCE ON THE SPORTS BLOCK PARTY RADIO SHOW AT 8:00PMCST. THE STATION IS 610AM IN THE HOUSTON AREA AND LISTEN LIVE ONLINE AT WWW.SPORTSRADIO610.COM

ABOUT THE SHOW: Sundays 6PM – 9PM You like sports?!? We’ve got your sports on the Sunday Block Party with Bobby Z. and Lesbian Craig. We know you’ve got a lot to say, so give’em a call or shoot’em an email because that’s what we’re waiting for on the Sunday Block Party. Listen for Dr. Football.com, Jimmy Neal each week in the 7 o'clock hour right here on the Sunday Block Party.

NIA ABDALLAH INTERVIEW ON WPFW-DC 89.3FM PACIFICA! LISTEN!

2008-08-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Nia Abdallah went one-on-one with WPFW-DC 89.3 FM Pacifica Radio to discuss the We Support Nia campaign. She was interviewed by News Director Askia Muhammad based in Washington, D.C. The interview aired live on August 8, 2008. Click below to hear the interview now!

About
The purpose of WPFW-FM Pacifica is to provide outlets for the creative skills and energies of the community, to contribute to a lasting understanding between individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors, and to promote the full distribution of public information. Programming on WPFW will principally be a mix of jazz, Third World music, news and public affairs. For more information visit:www.wpfw.org

Nia Adallah To Appear on International Million Woman Movement Radio Show

2008-08-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Nia Abdallah has been invited to be a special guest on International Million Woman Movement Blog Radio Show "NU Day Resurrection and Liberation" hosted by Empress Chi. The interview will air on Saturday, August 16 at 10:00pm CST (11:00pm EST). Nia will also be joined by Deric Muhammad of the Millions More Movement Ministry of Justice. To listen live log on to www.blogtalkradio.com/empresschi or via your telephone 1-646-652-2232

About the Host:Empress Chi is the visionary,architect, and sole founder of the historic 1997 Million Woman March and President General of the MWM Universal Movements. The historic 1997 Million Woman March is the largest gathering in the world of any women anywhere and now it is rising up as more than an organization but a nation building pro-active force.

Preparing Your Mind For Competition by Nia Abdallah

2008-08-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Preparing Your Mind For Competition
Written by Nia Abdallah

Everything starts in practice. You must always focus on doing your best every time you go to work on your craft. Why? The lack of preparation before competition is what creates doubt in the heat of competition. I have always lived by the motto that "If what you did yesterday still looks good today, you haven’t done much today." This keeps me motivated to do a little bit more everyday in and out of practice.

Let’s go deeper. Living a positive lifestyle is critical because what you do outside of practice effects what you do in. After you have been doing that consistently, you must find something to comfort you when you are preparing yourself for the challenge ahead. My comforting tool is music. I listen to positive and motivating songs the day before and the day of competition. The night before a competition I make time to sit quietly alone to visualize the victory. I mentally paint a picture of me executing the kicks and movements that are necessary to secure the victory. I visualize getting the medal and doing interviews. I can see myself doing everything that comes with being the winner of the competition. I don’t allow any pictures of doubt to enter into my mind. I believe in claiming a victory before it happens as long as I am ready to do all the work to get to the victory. There are two reasons for that.

One is that your subconscious does not reason. It just hears the basics. For example, if you said “I don’t want to lose”, your subconscious mind hears the word ‘lose’. That’s why I’m cautious of speaking and thinking only with positive words. Secondly, is to put myself in the situation before I actually get there. A great coach always tells the quarterback or the point guard to see the play before it happens. They want them to see themselves scoring the winning touchdown and the winning shot with unwavering confidence.

Have you ever notice that the first time you do just about anything it is the hardest? Well if I have already done it in my mind then when I actually get out there, it is not a problem because your subconscious does not know any better. Lastly, I remember that I got to this competition the same way as everybody else. Even if it is their ninth time at this competition and this is my first, they had to go through their first once before. All and all they are still humans so why fear or doubt yourself? When they look across that mat into your eyes, send them a message that they are in for the fight of their life.

I truly learned all of this in my experiences, because I saw all the little girls in the same place I was just years before. That keeps me focus because just like I dethroned someone there is a little Nia somewhere else waiting to dethrone me if I don’t watch out. I never underestimate anyone.

A closing tip is to always remember to have fun. That is what you got in the sport for in the first place, do not change that. When it becomes a job and you are not having fun then it will show in your competition.

Focus. Love your life so you can live your life.

(Nia Nicole Abdallah is the 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in Taekwondo. She is the first U.S. woman in history to win a medal in the sport since it became an official Olympic sport. She can be reached at wesupportnia@gmail.com)

Why did NBC avoid showing the Taekwondo Olympic Trial match?

2008-08-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

In an awesome one-on-one interview on August 8 with KCOH Sports News director Ralph Cooper, a serious question was posed by the step father of Nia Abdallah that has the listeners wondering.

"NBC has shown all of the Olympic Trial fights on national television except the fight between Nia and Diana Lopez. Have you ask yourself why?", posed Thomas Duhart Jr., Nia's step father. "If this was suppose to be such a historic win for Diana and her family, why hasn't been aired all over television? It because they know that Nia was the winner hands down. They know the truth and anyone who watches the fight knows that Diana Lopez did not win."

Being that this interview was done on the day of the 2008 Opening Ceremonies in Beijing, Cooper asked Nia to go deeper into how she feels about being robbed and not being able to represent the U.S. although she won. "It has been really hard to grip. It's hard to get up these days going to grocery store when I know I should be in China right now training and preparing to win the gold medal. I had a headache all night last night but I'm fighting to expose this corruptness because things have to change. We need new management in Taekwondo. I won that fight and know that looking back I did everything in that match I planned on doing to ensure a victory."

Nia further called on all listeners to "watch the fight for yourself, vote on the blog as to who you think won, write your congressperson because this not just about me. it's about making sure those that come behind me don't have to face this."

Cooper ended the interview by declaring "after watching the fight myself, I know you won. Always remember that a champion always finds his or her way back to the top."

Nia Abdallah To Appear on KCOH Radio TODAY!!!

2008-08-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Nia Abdallah will be a special guest on the Houston based KCOH 1430AM Sports Rap show hosted by Ralph Cooper. The live interview will air at 5:00pm CST. For those outside of the Houston area log on to www.kcohradio.com

About the Host: Ralph Cooper's roots extend deep into the fabric of Houston. Grimes Elementary, Attucks Middle School, Worthing High School, Houston Community College and the University of Houston - Downtown, have made him a true product of Houston Area schools. Ralph became the Sports Director for KCOH Radio in 1984 after leaving a competing station here in Houston where he had held that same position from 1973-1984. Ralph Cooper can be heard Monday thru Friday at 8 AM with Sports Update, and on Sports Rap, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's from 5 PM to 7 PM and Tuesday from 5 PM to 8 PM.

Photo Highlights of People's Politics Live Interview!

2008-08-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

On, Monday August 4, Nia Abdallah and Attorney Warren Muhammad were studio guests on the show People's Politics which aired live on Channel 17 and is produced by Pyramid Global Media.

The video of the full hot interview will be released soon. But you can watch excerpt from the interview at Nia Abdallah People's Politics Interview

Dallas Morning News post Video on DallasNews.com!

2008-08-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Breaking News! The Dallas Morning News has released an article featuring Nia Abdallah and her fight against injustice in her Olympic Trial fight against Diana Lopez. The Dallas Morning News also posted the YouTube video of their Sudden Death round to allow viewers to comment on who they thought won!

Read the full article at: Nia Abdallah in Dallas Morning News

See Sudden Death video posted at:Taekwondo controversy: Lopez-Abdallah Olympic qualifying video

Listen to Podcast! Portland and Vancouver hear from Nia Abdallah

2008-08-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

On August 4, 2008 the people of Portland,OR and Vancouver,WA heard live from Nia Abdallah as she went one-on-one with Opio Sokoni of Poli-tainment.com and KMBS radio. The question was posed by Opio: Will there be justice for a 2004 Olympic Tae Kwon Do Silver Medalist? Ms. Abdallah may have been robbed by the 2008 United States Olympic Committee in her Des Moines, Iowa Olympic trial match against Diana Lopez. Nia talks to Opio about it...click below and listen to the podcast now.

LISTEN!:Nia Abdallah Speaks To Right An Olympic Wrong

About Opio Sokoni
Opio Sokoni is a Howard University trained lawyer working as the General Manager of Portland, Oregonâs KBMS radio where he self produces a politics and Hip Hop radio show. Opio has previously worked for the Drug Policy Alliance, TransAfrica and Amnesty International. His multimedia interviews have included Congressional members and entertainment icons such as Harry Belafonte and Russell Simmons. His writings have appeared in the Boston Globe, The Black Commentator, the Washington Times, DaveyD.com and numerous popular websites. He has also appeared on C-SPAN and the O'Reilly Factor. An activist filmmaker, he has written, directed and produced two documentary films, and last year, premiered the first ever activist film, Turn Off Channel Zero which targets Viacom as a major source of negative media portrayals of African Americans. Opio is the author of an award-winning children's book (I Want to Be a Lawyer When I Grow Up) and an activist manual (Poli-Tainment: Making Struggle Sexy). Mr. Sokoni was the lead organizer and consultant for the Appeal for Redress campaign - a movement of active duty military members appealing to end the war in Iraq - it was a featured broadcast on 60 Minutes. He runs the news and culture website http://www.poli-tainment.com/. Also visit www.myspace.com/turnoffchannelzero

Nia Abdallah story featured on BlackAthlete.com

2008-08-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

The word about the We Support Nia Campaign continues to spread. The story of Nia Abdallah is a featured newsmaker on Blackathlete.com, which is considered one of the top sports networks online. Click the link: Nia On BlackAthlete.com

WATCH NIA ABDALLAH TONIGHT ON LIVE TELEVISION!

2008-08-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

Nia Abdallah will make a live appearance TONIGHT (August 4) on the live television show The People's Politics. The show will air at 8:30pm CST on Comcast Channel 17 and TV Max 15. Ms. Abdallah will be joined by Attorney Warren Muhammad to contine to expose the corruptness of Tae Kwon Do and the great Olympic injustice that took place that robbed the United States from having the BEST and MOST QUALIFIED fighter on the team!

Tune in and then come back to the blog and leave her a comment!

What: Nia Abdallah appearing on The People's Politics Show
When: TONIGHT, August 4th
Time: 8:30PM CST
Channels: Comcast Channel 17 and TV Max 15.

About the Show Producers
Pyramid Global Media, LLC. is a production company established to uplift people one step at a time. Their mission is to be the eyes of the people and give a voice to their social and economic affairs through various mediums. For more information visit www.pyramidglobalmedia.org

Did You Know This About Nia Abdallah??

2008-07-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

2004 Hall of Fame Competitor of the Year: Nia Abdallah
by Russell Gray

Reposted from:http://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/418

In 2004 Houston-based Nia Abdallah made history by becoming the first American woman to win a medal in Olympic taekwondo since the martial sport became an official event in 2000. Olympic success like that doesn’t just happen overnight; it takes years, even decades, to cultivate and fine-tune. In Abdallah’s case, the arduous path to the top began more than 10 years ago.

While sitting with her grandfather and watching the Olympics on television, Abdallah boldly proclaimed that she not only wanted to compete in the games but that she would win. The sport that happened to be on the tube at the time was gymnastics, but the girl favored taekwondo, partly because her cousin was training in it. After some heavy-duty lobbying, she persuaded her family to let her sign up at a dojang. She was 9 at the time.

From the beginning, the martial artist displayed an aptitude for taekwondo, faring well in fighting, forms and breaking. In the Junior Olympics, she blazed a trail that spanned gold medals in fighting and forms in 1994, as well as a gold in sparring and a silver in forms in both 1995 and 1996. Then in 1997, she secured her first victory in an international event by winning at board breaking and placing second in forms at the U.S. Cup Taekwondo Championships. She continued her winning ways at the Senior National Championships in 2001, then bagged gold and silver at that same event in 2002, when she also won the Quebec Cup Championship.

In 2003 the 28th Olympiad was approaching, and the taekwondo contenders knew it was time to make their run. At least half a dozen athletes seemed destined to rise to the top of the women’s division—including former Olympians and elite national champions. Abdallah wasn’t even a blip on the radar. Things changed radically when she won a bronze at the 2003 Pan American Games and a gold at the Peru Open.

What finally catapulted the Texan into the limelight was her performance at a pivotal event in Mexico City in January 2004. She single-handedly qualified the United States for a slot in the Olympic featherweight division. (A country isn’t guaranteed a spot to compete in an Olympic sport; rather, athletes must earn the berth and then compete for a spot on their nation’s team.) Abdallah’s efforts handed the American women a chance to be represented in the games.

During the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in San Jose, California, everyone was gunning for Abdallah. The challengers knew that if they didn’t defeat her, it would be four more years until they got another chance. The third-degree black belt ended up blowing away all comers. She was free to focus on Athens, Greece.

Abdallah launched her quest for Olympic glory in blazing fashion. She scored 16 points—winning more points than in any other match up to that time—against Russian opponent Margarita Mkrtchyan, who scored just nine. The tough Texan then bested Italy’s Cristiana Corsi 3-2 and earned a spot in the medal contest by winning a close overtime against Thailand’s Nootharin Sukkhongdumnoen. That victory secured her a spot on the Olympic podium, where she received her silver medal.

Since her victory last year, the 21-year-old has been having the time of her life traveling around the world, making appearances at competitions, conducting seminars and being honored at banquets. She’s already set her sights on striking gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Black Belt is proud to make her its 2004 Competitor of the Year.

About the author: Russell Gray is a freelance writer based in Southern California.

An Editorial From Nia's Parent Thomas J. Duhart Jr.

2008-07-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

EDITORAL OF LOPEZ STORY
By: Thomas J. Duhart, Jr.

As I read the article written by David Barron of the Houston Chronicle about the so called first family of Taekwondo the Lopez Family one thing stood out in my mine. Mr. Barron wrote that Diana defeated 2004 Silver Medalist Nia Abdallah of Houston in overtime in a match with a disputed outcome. Nia is my step-daughter and before I write this letter I encourage anyone that reads it go online to wesupportnia.blogspot.com and view the fight for yourself.

This history making match is the one that propelled the Lopez siblings into Olympic History. As for myself I’ve viewed that fight many times and not only that,I was there in Des Moines as an eye witness. With speed, agility and strength Nia easily beat Diana Lopez and was definitely the better fighter. These comments are not coming from a disgruntled parent but from someone who has been around this sport for 15 years. I have no hard feeling or animosity toward the Lopez family because my Christian faith will not allow it. I just want people to know the truth about how the history was made because there is a big difference between Making History and Faking History.

There are many behind the scene improprieties that have happened to Nia and for legal reasons I am not allowed to discuss them because I will take legal action soon. Jean Lopez is the US Coach and the brother of Nia’s chief rival and the other brother Mark Lopez sits on the Board of Directors of USA Taekwondo, just add in Steven Lopez the two time gold medalist and four times World Champion, Nia was up against a stacked deck. Mr. Barron pointed out in his article how the sibling’s parents came from Nicaragua and made a life here in American and built a family an American family. These were strong words because America is still the country of opportunity.

My response to the story is that even though it is a good story it is not an unfamiliar story. All Americans that live here have a story. Nia is an African American female, the sixth generation from slavery. Both of her grandfathers served their country in WWII. Nia has had uncles and cousins fight for this country in Korea, Vietnam and all the way to the streets of Baghdad. Her cousin James Berry is a retired 4-Star General from the US Army. Nia has an incredible story which would take me writing a book to tell it all. In 2004, in spite of all the obstacles placed in her patch Nia overcame them. In Athens, Nia represented her country valiantly fighting with a fractured foot. When everything was over with I vividly remember everything that happened that day. After her final match Nia cried and was so disappointed about not winning the gold medal as she clutched her late grandfather Curtis. E. Hobbs Sr. U.S. Flag that was given to her grandmother at his funeral.

Nia wanted to stand on the podium and hear our National Anthem played and later drape her grandfather flag across her shoulders as she walked around the arena. Her grandfather introduced her to the idea of going to the Olympics. I told Nia that she was still young and she could do it at the next Olympics. Nia worked hard and she trained hard to get back to the Olympics. Nia is a much better fighter then the one that won a Silver Medal in Athens.

My wife and I have always taught Nia to put your faith in God, work hard and never have an excuse if you don’t succeed. What do you tell your child when they do the right thing and due to politics and money the system fails them? This country has a myriad of problems but maybe I’m naïve, I always believed that sports transcend any barrier including race.

The best usually always win and especially in the Olympics the best Athletes get to represent their country. However in Nia’s case the system failed her and the media has turned a blind eye to her fate. I graduated from the University of Houston in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism because I believed in the Medias ideal of wanting to search for the truth. It seams like money, commercials and Big Business is more important than the truth.

A few people told me to forget about what happened to Nia what done is done. My response to them was it didn’t happen to your child but it could, someone has to make a stand. If they can do that to Nia an established Athlete in Taekwondo and an Olympic Silver Medalist no one is safe. This time it was Taekwondo next time it could be something much graver because if good people stand by and do nothing evil will always rein.

TKD Certified Coach Comments on Houston Chronicle article. Please Read!

2008-07-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

In the July 27th edition of the Houston Chronicle, Sports Writer David Barron wrote an article titled "First family of taekwondo realizes Olympic dream". Within that article he wrote:

"Steven Lopez qualified in 2007 for his third Olympics, and Mark and Diana followed suit this spring at the Olympic trials, where Diana defeated 2004 silver medalist Nia Abdallah of Houston in overtime in a hotly disputed match."

NOT SO FAST MR. BARRON! LOOK AT THIS COMMENT LEFT ON THE WEBSITE IN RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE AND THE OUTCOME OF THE FIGHT.

2win wrote:
I saw the video for the first time. My coach saw it and stated that Nia should have won that fight. I agreed.

I am a TKD Blk belt and have been competed since 83, and also a certified referee and also a coach. Looking at round by round:
Round 1:
Nia 4 points ( 3 round kick: 1 on left kick, 1 on the double kick, fake right and landed on left kick, 1 on left kick, 1 on fast double right/left) This happened with in 30-40 second into the fight. Nia did not score on the head kick on this round is because it contacted on her shoulder and not on the face. Therefore shhe did not score 2 points.
Diana - 0

Round 2:
Nia: 2 points to the head (an "illusion" kick ie. make it seems like a round kick but then hook at the last second to contact to the face) Nia definately had a solid kick on that at the 30 second into the 2nd round. Diana fell down.
Diana: 0

Round 3:
Nia 2(scored first on the right leg fast kick. Then 1 more on the right leg fast kick

Diana: 0 ( She kicked a bit more, but nothing landed)

Sudden death: (Rule: First one landed a kick, wins)

Nia- scored first on the right leg lunge round kick. It was not too clear though..ie..solid enough but it was there. 1 more on the right leg round kick, then Diana counter with her right leg and fell down. Nia kicked first on this exchange. Nia then 1 more on the right leg round/push kick and Diana lost her footing. A solid kick. 1 more solid round kick to Diana and Nia lost her footing and fell.

Last 30 second Diana kicked and MISSED, and Nia counter with her right leg and landed.

Result:
Nia: 0 ( with many FIRST kicks and landed)
Diana: 1 ( with 1 missed kick)

Diana won.

Critique on the ref:
- should have given Nia a -1/2 on turning the back on the fight when she just turn around and walk off. She was hurt and I do not know how.
- Should have given both fighters more -1/2 for stalling.

Summary:
Nia was definately the better fighter: Superiority on kicks, superiority on initiating kicks, landed more kicks.

Statistically, Nia delivered more kicks and landed more. Diana kicked, but nothing was landing. Lots of jammed kicks. She did do more on 3 round and on the sudden death. But it was not landing.

On the old system (USTU) when "sudden death" round was non-existant, the center ref will decide on the superiority of the fighter. Nia was the superior fighter. She could have represent the US much better than Diana.

With that said, Diana now really have to proof herself in Bejing. With the burden carrying to China, Diana really, really have to give it all and let the TKD people in the US that she has what it takes to represent the US TKD or else the Korean will have her for lunch.

Diana looked very hesitant and not confident at the trial.

As for me, I fought National and went to Team trial before way back when. My coach was up there with Clay Barber, Juan M., Ms L. Love, Ms D. Holloway...way back when.

Posted: 7/28/2008 11:19:08 PM

-END Quote-

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE,OTHER COMMENTS AND SPEAK OUT AT: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/oly/5909541.html

Nia Abdallah goes one-on-one with Your Black World Reporter

2008-07-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Tolu Olorunda, contributing writer for www.YourBlackWorld.com, went one-on-one with Nia Abdallah and her parents to go deeper into the movement of the We Support Nia Campaign.

Here are a few excerpts:

YBW: Can you speak on the background of Diana Lopez and the influence of the Lopez family in general?

Abdallah: Well, a lot of people don't know this, but in 2000, the Lopez family was in the media saying that they we're going to be the "first family of Taekwondo" -- meaning that they would all compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics together. One of the Lopez brothers is an AAC board member -- the board that makes the rules for the selection process. So, the family was in play with that much power, and they already had AT&T and The Jay Leno Show in the works before the Olympic trial, in order to promote their dynasty.

YBW: Can you give us a landscape view of the 2008 Qualifying Match with Diana Lopez -- for those who haven't seen it?

Abdallah: Basically, we went up to 3 or 4 rounds without any score points. And, seeing that we we're both world competitors, I could not understand why there were no points accrued initially in the span of the match. When I kicked her and she fell, there were no deductions, and it is definitely worth seeing the fight, because the tape proves itself. I urge everyone to go to my BlogSpot and MySpace page to view it, because she won by illegitimacy.

YBW: What are you advocating for, and why?

Abdallah: We are fighting for these injustices to stop, and most people look over it because it has become a staple in professional sports, but slaves could have said the same thing about their condition. We want everybody to know that together, we can change the system.

YBT: Are you asking for reinstatement or a rematch?

Abdallah: Well, with the time frame, it is not probable that I would be going to Beijing. So, it's a small chance that I would still be present at the Olympics, but I'm fighting so that no one else has to go through the same experience I went through...

Read the full interview at:Nia Abdallah Goes One-on-One With YBW

BlackNews.com features Nia Abdallah for its 500,000 monthly readers!

2008-07-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

The word continues to spread.

Nearly 500,000 Black Professionals visit BlackNews.com each month and for the next seven days they will be reading about the plight of 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Nia Abdallah. Also a press release was sent out to their over 1,000 media outlets throughout the country to make it known that the Lopez family is faking history and not making history.

See Nia Abdallah at: http://www.blacknews.com/news/nia_abdallah101.shtml

Listen Now! Nia Abdallah and her parents give extensive interview

2008-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Click below and listen as Nia Abdallah, her parents, and coach discuss nearly an hour about the injustice that has taken place against Abdallah. You can also download the MP3 version for your iPods! Listen now and pass it on!

This is not just about Tae Kwon Do....its a movement for change. Join The We Support Nia Campaign Today.

Tae Kwon Do Pioneer of Puerto Rico makes comment

2008-07-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

Professor Aristides Montalvo, a 1st Class International Referee and pioneer of Tae Kwon Do in Puerto Rico, stated:
"Im 1st class International referee from Puerto Rico (WTF) and I said that ABDALLA won the contest. But the referee that work in the event maybe have different criteria of the rules."

You may ask who is Professor Montalvo and why does his opinion hold weight? For those that do not know this legend just look at a piece of his resume:
Technical Advisor for the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame.
Pioneered Olympic style Taekwondo in Puerto Rico
Technical Director of Puerto Rico Taekwondo Federation since 1990
7th Dan Kukiwon / 8th Dan Chung Do Kwan
Certified International Referee (1st Class)
Coach at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games
Panamerican Taekwondo Union coach staff 1987-1990
Former coach Pan Am Taekwondo Championship
Participated in All American Championship in New York 1974-76

See the MOOKSAS POLL and see what the people think the Lopez family will do in the Olympics.

Nia Supporters Keep Growing! Make Your Choice!

2008-07-26T04:04:00.001-07:00

The momentum continues forthe "We Support Nia" Cmapaign throughout the country. More and more people are watching the fight everyday which proves that Diana Lopez did not beat Nia Abdallah. Here are a few comments from WE Support Nia Myspace Page

"Girl, I got your back I don't know anything about Martial Arts, but you clearly won. . . Keep your head up"—Katina Stone (Crete, Illinois)

"I have watched this. . . you won hands down. I know that God is going to make you the winner. . . be patient. You are in my and my family's prayers."--Amon Muhammad (Reidsville, NC)

“I heard you on WVON. I am here to support you.”—E.Foxx (107.3 VIP Chicago Online Radio Host)

"I watched most of the fight I think the person in the red won the fight”—Mr. Marx(Pennsylvania)

“I honestly don't know how you score these type of matches but it looked like you hit her atleast 2 times in the sudden death. When you clearly hit her you stayed in position ready to strik again, in boxing we do the same, we stay ready till the ref instructs us to break or back off. When she kicked your arm she immediately throw her hands up in air. Has the Lopez family made any comment in response or are they just kinda hoping the "Support for Nia" will just fade away? Thank you for not keeping quiet, fight on.”—Juan (Houston, Texas)

"That is the biggest cheat job I ever saw in a suggestive sport. I counted at least 3kicks that score of equal or greater impact than the one kick Lopez got in. They wanted Lopez in to make history...so much for a free USA. Now what happens when she doesn't even get a medal in Bejing?"—Real Thots (Stafford, Texas)

“That was absolutely horrible. I watched this match twice, and I lost count of the number of points you should have had. Diana Lopez is a good Martial Artist, but she got her belt handed to her during that match. You should have won.”—Ms. Starr (Lansing, Michigan)

HOW CAN YOU HELP? (1)WATCH THE VIDEO TO THE LEFT (2) MAKE YOUR CHOICE (3) TELL FIVE OTHER FRIENDS ABOUT TO DO THE SAME.

Nia Abdallah featured on "Your Black World" Blogs

2008-07-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

After hearing Nia Abdallah on the Sanita Jackson Show, the founder of Your Black World immediately posted two blog entries to spread the word to their hundreds of thousand readers and subscribers. Click the links below to read the blog entries on Your Black News and Your Black Politics Blogs. Be on the look out for their upcoming one-on-one with Nia Abdallah and her parents!

YOUR BLACK NEWS BLOG:
http://yourblacknews.blogspot.com/2008/07/black-female-athlete-wins-fight-yet.html

YOUR BLACK POLITICS BLOG:
http://yourblacknews.blogspot.com/2008/07/black-female-athlete-wins-fight-yet.html

Abdallah appears on Chicago's WVON radio station!

2008-07-25T14:06:00.001-07:00

On Thursday morning, July 24th, the Midwest was given the truth!

Continuing her thrust in making known the corruption involving the fight between her and Diana Lopez, Nia Abdallah was invited to appear on the "Sanita Jackson Show", which airs weekdays on Chicago's WVON 1690 AM. Abdallah was joined by her attorney Warren Muhammad in a hour long interview that received numerous callers.

Abdallah was given the opportunity to discuss the fight between her and Lopez and how people can get involved. Attorney Muhammad discussed the legal moves that have been made by the family and what people can do to support Abdallah.

One caller even said "You all should be on Oprah!"

Please email Ms. Jackson at sanita@wvon.com and thank her for having Nia on her show. Also visit www.wvon.com

About the "Sanita Jackson Show"
Santita Jackson brings her worldly perspective on current events and contemporary issues from behind-the-scenes to behind-the-mic. She is the eldest of Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.'s five children and has traveled nationally and internationally as a performer. As the producer of Upfront with Jesse Jackson, Ms. Jackson has been instrumental in coordinating informative, sometimes controversial programming, and brings her provocative style to The Santita Jackson Show.

Listen! Nia Abdallah on "Living In Black" Radio Show

2008-07-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

The West Coast was buzzing on Sunday, July 20th as Nia Abdallah appeared on the popular L.A. based online radio show "Living In Black" with Dr. Ahmses Maat and Keidi Awadu.

Abdallah was given the opportunity to delve into the wrongful and unfair judging that took place in her controversial Olympic Qualifying match against Diana Lopez. "I prepared myself to win and I was robbed because I was actually fighting against the story that everyone wanted the Lopez family to have. I want everyone to watch the fight themselves and let me know who they think really won. This injustice has to stop."

Dr. Maat then allowed online viewers to watch the fight live on Livinginblack.com as he and Abdallah went through it play by play. "I see you kicking her several times and not receiving points. You beat her hands down", commented Dr. Ahmses, who also went to the Olympics as a mixed-martial artist in 2004. "We want everyone to go on to her blog, myspace page and show her some support. This has to be made known and that's why we brought her on the show."

Listeners were then given insight into the mental and physical preparation it took for Abdallah to win a silver medal in Tae Kwon Do 2004 in Athens, Greece. She described her training regime, diet, mental focus and the art of mastering self. "I love this sport because it teaches you principles that go beyond the mat. It's about having self-control and mastering yourself first. The TKD principles are so valuable and that's why I am standing up to let the country and world know what was done to me and how the principles were violated."

What about on the mat? "In truth I can be the nicest person to you, but once we get in the fight, I am focused on winning. I totally change my posture towards you when you become my opponent because I take this very serious."

Numerous callers posed questions to her and some even suggested that she make her story into a movie and a book. "you have a powerful story", said one caller.

"We were honored to have such a motivating and brilliant sister on the air with us today", said Dr. Ahmses in his closing words. "She is the true champion and should be representing us at the 2008 Olympics. Everyone please call, email and support Nia Abdallah."

For more information on Living in Black Radio visit www.livinginblack.com

Listen to the Interview Now!
Part 1 of Interview with LIB Radio:

Part 2 of Interview with LIB Radio:

Nia Abdallah Appears on Three More Radio Shows

2008-07-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

The "We Support Nia" campaign continues to spread throughout the country

Within a short period of time, Nia Abdallah has been able to touch a multitude of listeners with appearances on several top radio shows in the Houston area and in the country. Her busy schedule this week included three appearances on three different radio show within a few days span. What's fueling her passion? To get the truth out about the injustice she faced in the Olympic trial match against Diana Lopez.

First on Wednesday, July 16th she joined Robert Muhammad in the KPFT 90.1 studio for an interview on his show Connect The Dots. Bro. Robert was very familiar with the plight of Nia, being that he had watched the fight several months ago. Nia discussed her years of experience, training regime, and the controversial outcome of the fight against Lopez.

"Since 2004, people have been talking about the Lopez family making history. They would be the first family to have three siblings in the Olympic so basically I was in the way of that story", said Abdallah. "I went into the fight saying I was not going to let her hit me and it worked. It was like the world against me and I did everything I could have imagined to do but they wanted her to be in and not me."

"I'm being an objective interviewer but I honestly saw the fight three, four, five times before they [USOC] took it down off of the Internet", said Muhammad. "Watch the the fight for yourself. Comment for yourself and judge for yourself."

"I think America deserves to know the truth. I don't want them [Lopez family] to just go to China and everyone there to think that they made a great story, when they really didn't. I think great stories happen out of truth and fairness. I don't want this to happen to anybody else."

Listen to the archive at Connect the Dots Radio Show Interview

On Friday, July 18, Abdallah's message touched the hearts and ears of listeners in the Baltimore and Washington, DC area. She was a guest on the show Listen Up Baltimore on WEAA 88.9FM hosted by Bro. Farajii on the campus of Morgan State University. Thousands of listeners tuned in as she was also joined on the show by a 2nd Degree Black Belt Master William Muhammad of Houston and a renowned Baltimore track coach. All three gave insight into the injustice done to Abdallah for the sake of making the Lopez family into a "marketing machine". Several callers voiced their opinions and listeners were driven to view the fight for themselves as well as call the We Support Nia campaign to get involved further.

Later, that evening Nia was on the campus of Texas Southern University to make a live in studio appearance on the Hip-Hop show. Led by DJ Crazy Dredz, the interview had the phone lines buzzing immediately as people called in to voice their support for Abdallah and their disgust with what was done just so the Lopez family could make history. In amazing fashion, the YouTube sudden death clip between Abdallah and Diana Lopez received over 4,000 hits alone during the show!

"You won the fight hands down and you should be going to Beijing", said DJ Dredz to Abdallah. "We had to bring you own so everyone will know the truth."

"I want to help change some things in Tae Kwon Do because I love this sport. I beat Diana Lopez and they know it so we are letting the whole entire world know what was done to me", said Abdallah. "We came up with a new term that if you get cheated in something that means you got 'Lopezed', because they have a history of receiving favoritism."

The show also ended with everyone agreeing that the Lopez family is faking history, not making history.

(To book Nia Abdallah for interviews call 832.978.0939 or email to wesupportnia@gmail.com)

Diana Lopez Did Not Beat Me. Want Proof? Watch the Full Fight!

2008-07-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Diana Lopez Did Not Beat Me. Want Proof? Watch the Full Fight! Leave me a comment. On Friday, July 19th, I will be on a Baltimore Radio show and KTSU 90.1 to continue to let the country and world know that I was robbed.

Nia Abdallah vs Diana Lopez - Olympic Qualifying Match

Nia Abdallah returns to New York Airwaves

2008-07-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

Nia Abdallah makes appearance on "Respect For Life" radio show

New York boroughs inspired by the true champion

After receiving rave reviews for her dynamic interview on the "Millions More and You" show, 2004 Olympic silver medalist Nia Abdallah was invited back the be a guest on WHCR 90.3 FM on Monday, July 14, 2008.

This time she was asked to be on the air for an entire hour with Mr. Leroy Baylor, the host of the Respect For Life show, which aimed at discussing the mental side of Tae Kwondo Do, training regimes, shaking off haters and overcoming difficulty. This interview would show more of the insight and knowledge Abdallah has gain in her 15 years of experience.

"The sport of Tae Kwon Do gives one the opportunity to release their frustrations and channel their energy that otherwise may be uncontrolled", said Abdallah. "Life is about positive and negative energy. We choose which one we want to dominate us. If you remain in a positive state of mind you will attract positive things. But if you walk around with negative things on your mind all of the time then you will attract those things that you don't want to happen."

Baylor then asked her to compare Tae Kwon Do to other sports such as boxing in relation to the mental demand on the athlete.

"Tae Kwon Do is similar to many sports but it is more of a chess game back and forth. Calculating your next move and study your opponents moves at the same time", said Abdallah. "In all sports you have to train if you want to win. When it comes to training, I always keep in my head that my opponent could be training at this every moment, so I have to stay on point. I think about how there is probably someone training in China right now, so that motivates me."

Abdallah then went further into many of the tenets of TKD and other motivating principles that has helped her become a champion in the sport she loves. "The same principles applied on the mat are the same principles one can incorporate in life outside the mat. I always say that if what you did yesterday still looks good today, then you haven't done nothing today. We have to constantly meet challenges and try to achieve. The same way one can be the best martial artist is no different than the person who wants to be an engineer. Be the best."

"I always have learned from others as well. I've seen certain moves by others and I try to perfect them. Learning is crucial," she added.

The radio show host then closed out the interview discussing the controversial match between her and Diana Lopez, envy and the value of 'haters'.

"From looking at the tape, it is clear that you won, how have you handled it?", asked ?Baylor.

"After looking back at the tape, there was nothing else I could have done to win. I didn't see any mistakes I had made. We had a game plan going into that fight against Diana [Lopez] and it was working", said Abdallah. "But they wanted her to win so bad that they didn't care what I did. Even if I had knocked her out. I beat Diana Lopez. That's why I want the whole world to know what was done to me so something can be changed in the sport."

Abdallah then went on to say "envious people only hurt themselves. I love it when someone tells me I can't do something. I love it because I enjoy showing people they are wrong. Comedian Katt Williams says that if you have haters, then that means you are doing something worth hating on. "

She then took questions from a few callers and asked all of the listeners to log on to her blog and myspace page to watch the video of the fight between her and Diana Lopez.

"I got a lot from this interview. Nia is very sharp, proving the benefits of martial arts for the mind. She's very good", said Baylor.

Nia Abdallah Appears on WHCR 90.3 in New York

2008-07-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

NIA ABDALLAH MAKES SPECIAL APPEARANCE ON WHCR 90.3 FM New York Radio Station

On Friday July 11, 2008, Nia Abdallah was presented with yet another great opportunity to let the citizens of the United States know about the great injustice that has taken place against her in regards to the controversial outcome of the Olympic Trial match with Diana Lopez. This time Nia's voice was heard on the East Coast, as listeners tuned into the "Millions More & You" radio show broadcasted on the New York based WHCR 90.3 FM.

The segment was hosted by Mr. Rickey Young, a former professional boxer, who himself shared with Nia his experiences in losing matches he thought were clearly a victory for himself. Mr. Young made it clear that after watching the video himself, that "Nia definitely should have been declared the winner."

"This isn't just about me. But it's about those little competitors coming up behind me in the sport of Taekwondo", said Nia, who expressed passion for the sport she loves. "I want the country and the world to know what was done to me to try to force some kind of change in the way things are being done. Because this was not right and if we don't fix it, it will continue to happen."

When asked by Mr. Young if she thought the outcome of the match between her and Diana Lopez was planned, Nia replied, "Something definitely was up because Diana [Lopez] was speaking to me and joking around before the match which is not the normal Lopez pre-match routine. The are usually silent towards their opponent so I felt a strange vibe."

She continued by saying that "I honestly feel that if I had knocked her [Lopez] completely out, they probably would have just poured water in her face, picked her back up, and put her back on the mat to finish the fight. That's how determined they were to make history. So in truth I was fighting against the story or history that others wanted to make versus me just fighting Diana."

Listeners were also asked to view the video for themselves at www.myspace.com/wesupportnia and leave her their thoughts on the outcome of the fight.

"That was a great show", said Brother Wali, show producer. "We hope this helps even more in getting the word out."

Thousands of listeners were also able to hear the interview live on the station website at www.whcr.org

Lopez Family Faking History Instead of Making History

2008-07-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Justice for Nia Abdallah

Lopez Family Faking History Instead of Making History

By: Deric Muhammad

Flag burning in America is illegal. It represents open disrespect to the founding fathers of this nation and the principles of liberty and justice that the flag supposedly represents. But, how would you feel if you saw someone burn an American flag with an Olympic torch? Probably the same way that I felt when I saw 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Nia Abdallah robbed of her well-earned 2008 Olympic dreams after she steamrolled Diana Lopez in the April Tae Kwon Do trial finals.

It didn’t take an episode of CSI to determine that Diana, of the storied Lopez Tae Kwon Do family, was to be declared the winner even before the first kick left the ground. There was already much press generated about the Lopez clan being the first sibling trio to participate in the Olympics since 1904. Endorsement deals with At&t, Coca-Cola and other corporate giants were reportedly already pending. A Jay Leno Show appearance also took place shortly after the match. It made for great marketing juxtaposed to a tarnishing Olympic image marred by worldwide human rights protests. There is nothing wrong with making history, but there is something very wrong with FAKING HISTORY. And with the clear cooperation of the United States Olympic Committee that is exactly what they did. And if you watch the match for yourself, there is a 99% chance you will understand my nausea.

I say that because 99% of the thousands of web watchers who viewed the historic showdown declared Nia the hands-down victor. However, she will not be competing in Beijing this summer, because the Olympics like so many sporting games in America, is a farce nowadays. It is driven just as much by commerce as it is by competition.

Nia Abdallah is fierce competitor who, at the age of 4, promised her grandfather that someday she would win the Olympics. Through sheer hard work , discipline and determination she worked her way up the international ranks and earned that trip in ’04. She defeated opponent after opponent and earned a silver medal for her country not realizing that she was pregnant at the time. Imagine that. Once her beautiful daughter was born she began readying herself for the ’08 trials. Her days consisted of three or four grueling training sessions per day. Anyone who knows the demands that single motherhood places on a woman understands how difficult it is the keep a regimen like this. Nia Abdallah is more than just an Olympic champion. She is an inspiration to her community. And when you robbed her, you robbed us too.

As I said at the community rally supporting Nia, this case is a slap in the face to torchbearers like Jesse Owens and Wilma Rudolph who paved the way for the elimination of discrimination in the Olympics. Owens won four gold medals in 1936 in Germany during a time when Hitler was trying to prove the supremacy of Whites over non-whites. Since then Black people have been an intricate part of America’s celebrated status in Olympic competition worldwide.

Some may think that I am just a Black activist crying “racism”, because Abdallah is a Black woman. I am well aware that Diana Lopez and her family is Hispanic who, as followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, we believe are a part of the original family. But after viewing the fight in its entirety dozens of times, I am totally convinced that there was favoritism and prejudice. Prejudice and racism are not exactly the same. Racism is the thought process that leads to prejudice activity. To be prejudiced is to judge before the presentation of facts. And Deric Muhammad (that’s me) is absolutely convinced that before Nia Abdallah pressed her mouthpiece into her mouth to fight this fight it had been determined that she would not get in the way of the “Lopez Lie”. If Abdallah were German-Irish I would say that the outcome of the match was just as unjust.

This editorial is for parents and children across America who have Olympic dreams and are working hard to prepare themselves to meet that opportunity when it is presented to them. There is some youngster somewhere in urban or rural America doing laps as we speak in preparation for the 2020 Games. It is a dream deferred. But the bureaucracy involved can defer the dream permanently. At the end of the day it becomes, not about what you can do for yourself and your country, but what you can do for the USOC’s agenda. After Jesse Owens returned from Germany he had to resort to entertaining crowds by racing alongside horses, because he could get no endorsement deals.

Unfortunately, Diana and her family’s branding potential was more important than Nia’s sheer dominance of the sport of female Tae Kwon Do. It was more about marketing than martial arts. And to add insult to injustice the law makes is virtually impossible to effectively challenge the outcome of matches like this due to a rule of competition called “field of play”. Of course you can take the USOC to court, but by the time you gain any real legal traction, the Oympic games may have come around again twice. These laws create a blinding arrogance in the USOC that robs the American people of their voice regarding matters as such.

Myself, and the Millions More Movement Ministry of Justice are calling for a federal investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into the fight in question and the appellate process offered in sporting events such as these. There has to be a change in the law that protects athletes, regardless of race, creed or color, from having their dreams murdered in broad daylight.

One of the principle tenets of Tae Kwon Do is integrity. TKD athletes, enthusiasts and fans the world over are seething over this case. Support from as far as Korea and Japan has been shown to Ms. Abdallah. Diana Lopez is going to Beijing dishonorably and there is a fear that this match will represent a “black eye” for the discipline which only became an official Olympic sport in 2000. It is a baby in the games, but it has already been corrupted at the highest level.

If I were a TKD athlete in attendance of the Beijing games I would stand and turn my back as Diana Lopez walks onto the mat to compete. I would turn my back in remembrance of the tenets of TKD that the USOC turned their backs on when they robbed Nia Abdallah. The American people were stripped of the most qualified representative for that sport and weight class. It would be different if they left no fingerprints. I challenge the USOC to present an online public viewing of the fight and to give the American people an opportunity voice their concerns. I know that they will not do that considering they are scrambling daily to remove the fight from the web entirely. Why wouldn’t they want the public to see this match? Especially, since they aren’t removing any other Olympic trial videos from the web. You do the math.

Every time we lie, cheat, steal and turn our backs on “indivisible…and liberty and justice for all”, we are burning the American flag. In this case it was burned with an Olympic torch which is supposed to be symbolic of freedom. It was burned by those whom we entrusted to judge our affairs fairly. Injustice is the fire that burns the American flag. Justice is the water that extinguishes the fire.

Join the fight to support Nia Abdallah (wesupportnia.blogspot.com).

(Deric Muhammad is a Houston-based activist apart of the Millions More Movement Ministry of Justice and a member of the Nation of Islam. Muhammad can be reached at askbrotherderic@yahoo.com.)

Lopez Sibilings Teach Osterman Taekwondo? How so?

2008-07-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

(Note: This story originally appeared on www.click2houston.com. Please can someone tell us how Diana Lopez can teach Cat Osterman anything, when she did not beat Nia Abdallah? Please email Channel 2 News at news@kprc.com and tell them to come visit the home of the real champion)

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- Cat Osterman is a force on the softball field. The Olympian is headed to Beijing in hopes of capturing another gold medal. But when the world-class athlete wants to blow off steam and learn a new sport, she goes to the best for training.Osterman recently went to the Sugar Land gym where Steven, Diana and Mark Lopez perfect their taekwondo skills. She invited KPRC Local 2 to her private training session where she learned the art of taekwondo."My uncle teaches taekwondo in Chicago, which is how I've gotten involved in all of it. But, I haven't taken that many classes with him," she said.

Jean Lopez, the oldest of the Lopez siblings, is the head coach of the U.S. men's taekwondo team. He said Osterman was a natural."The cool thing about being an athlete, it doesn't matter what discipline or sport you pick, if you're an athlete, you're an athlete. You have a better understanding of your body -- your awareness of it, and that you can translate those things into whatever sport there is," Lopez said.

Steven Lopez, 29, already has two Olympic gold medals under his belt. He enjoyed sharing a sport he loves with other great athletes."I think Cat did awesome. There's something amazing that I've seen in athletes that if you're a good athlete, you're a good athlete," Steven Lopez said. "And obviously, she's a great softball player."

Once Osterman learned a few kicks and tricks, she had even more respect for the sport."You have to focus on mechanics and stuff, too, but I feel it's more disciplined and straight focused than it is when we're out on the field and stuff," she said.

Mark Lopez, the youngest of the Lopez siblings at 26 years old, will be going for his first Olympic medal. He was also impressed with Osterman's skill."She's a natural," Mark Lopez said. "Her being an Olympic-caliber athlete, and softball -- that takes a lot of skill -- hand, eye coordination, it's a natural thing for her, it seems like. She seemed to throw every basic kick very well."

Osterman said it was a lot of fun, but harder than it looks."Working out with the Lopezes was fun -- something kind of different and they taught me some cool kicks and stuff, which is nice, because you don't want to be bored with the real basic stuff," she said."

After softball, if she did want to choose a sport, I think taekwondo will be perfect for her," Steven Lopez said.

The Lopez siblings made history when all three earned spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic taekwondo team -- the first time since 1904 that three siblings will represent the U.S. at the Olympics in the same sport.

Reposted from: http://www.click2houston.com/news/16810952/detail.html

THE LOPEZ FAMILY IS FAKING HISTORY, NOT MAKING HISTORY!

Nia Abdallah Appears on S.O.S Radio Show with DJ Zin

2008-07-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Nia Abdallah Appears on S.O.S Radio Show with DJ Zin
Houston and Galveston airwaves hear the truth from the real champion

The Houston and Galveston community heard the truth on July 9, 2008 when Nia Abdallah and her mother Rhonda Duhart made a guest appearance on the Sound of Soul (S.O.S) Radio Show hosted by DJ Zin. Listeners tuned into KPFT 90.1 FM in Houston and 89.5 FM in Galveston as the 2004 Silver Medalist spoke about how she was robbed in the Olympic Trials match against Diana Lopez.

"If I had lost then I would have accepted it but anybody can watch the video and see that I clearly beat Diana Lopez", said Abdallah. "I don't see this as a race issue but really it's a favoritism issue. "

Her mother shared the history of what has been done to the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Famer by the United States Olympic Committee. Zin pledged his support and will continue to promote her plight.

Radio listeners were asked to visit her website, myspace and blog to show their support.

About S.O.S. Radio
S.O.S. Radio airs every Wednesday: 3:00 - 5:00 PM on KPFT 90.1FM in Houston and 89.5FM in Galveston. Hosted by DJ Zin, the show offers comprehensive progressive news, entertainment and the best in hip-hop, world beat, R&B and reggae music.

The People Are Speaking Out Against Diana Lopez...Read These Comments

2008-07-09T13:00:00.001-07:00

The People Are Speaking Out--Read These Comments From YouTube

The first video of the April match between Nia Abdallah and Diana Lopez was taken off of YouTube several times by the USOC BUT there is one still remaining of the Sudden Death Round. Check it out the comments that have been made so far:

videosearch1 (2 months ago)

The sound didn't survive the file conversion...apologies...the video speaks volumes...Final kick replays are at the end of the video.

edandrews (2 months ago)

Agreed! Outrageous!!!! Especially since they ignore ALL of Nia's direct kicks, and when Nia knocked down Diana THREE TIMES with no points. This arm shot shows they really wanted Diana to have it.

videosearch1 (2 months ago)

Consider the point of view of the 2 judges closest to the crowd out of view of the camera. How could they possibly see that hit her body (which it didn't)when they didn't score heads hots that all could see? Just sick..

magnumdave2 (2 months ago)

WTF?! That was not a point! she didn't touch her body at all, that was an arm shot... damn...

AnimatedEnigma (2 months ago)

TRAVESTY!!!! SCREW JOB!!!! Deplorable!!!! SCREWED BLIND!!!! INJUSTICE!!!! CHEATED!!!!! PATHETIC!!!! Despicable!!! Just a few descriptive clean adjectives that come to mind when I see the taekwondo scoring like this by USAT. Pretty sad way to pick a representative for the USA! Tanya Harding has more ethics than the five judges who publically screwed Nia if front of the world!

oak2day (2 months ago)

This is a sad time for the Olympics and a sad time for America. The best athlete in the USA will not be representing the USA at the 2008 Olympics in Bejing for the Women's Taekwondo matches. Having three siblings compete together sounds like a great marketing opportunity. However, when they are not the best athletes how can you permit them to represent the USA? Where is the honor of the Olympics? Where is the honor of TKD?

taekwondocoach (1 month ago)

Bunch of cheaters and posers I can't believe our Taekwondo community is being represented by some abnormal family in the Olympics like there is nobody who is better or at least deserves its achievements in this country.
I can think of some one who can and actually did beat the Lopez more than once in this country? But what happened next? The CIA or the government made them disappear OH NO I am sorry the American public did because they stayed silent to what's right and applauded what's wrong

lazarus4564 (1 month ago)

the other video on this site got nuked by the usoc i wonder how much longer yours will stay up

kalonzohart (1 month ago)

can anyone explain how the USOC can keep taking down this footage claiming copyright infringement considering this is obviously someone's personal camcorder? This isn't an official USOC television broadcast produced for the purposes of the USOC this was held as a public event so shouldn't it be public domain footage if someone records it on their own. I've been to tons of TKDO Matches and never saw a sign prohibiting the use of camcorders due to copyright infringement. any legal eagles out there

kalonzohart (1 month ago)

NFL games actually prohibit the use of camcorders at live games for that reason but i have never seen the prohibition of camcorders at any level.

ImATitanGirl (1 month ago)

crazy. the USOC is outrageous.

lazarus4564 (1 month ago)

The other question is why dosnt USOC claim copyright infringement on all the other videos on here. there are plenty that should come down to under this idea.

edandrews (1 month ago)

Houston Chronicle ran a story about this -- go to chron(dot)com and search for Nia. The word's starting to get out! Even so, they framed the story as Nia and her family wanting a review, but this is an American story. Most of us don't even know Nia -- and we're demanding a review. Knowledge is power, and the more people know, the more the USOC will be under pressure to review it, so let's all keep spreading the word.

PubliusAfricanus (1 month ago)

They took it down.

wtagirl (1 month ago)

I was there when this happen

AnimatedEnigma (1 month ago)

Perhaps, cheating or a legal proceeding event could be added to the Olympic games so the USA would have a guaranteed chance to win at the games too?

PubliusAfricanus (1 month ago)

I have no idea what's going on here. How come they don't get points for all the kicks that are connecting? And why are they going after each other like they have a grudge or something? I though martial artists were supposed to be calm and collected, or something. Like Steven Seagal. For he is the master.

edandrews (1 month ago)

The issue is and always will be that Nia won and Diana lost but 'judges' gave it to the family sibling. The USOC is only making it worse nt not correcting this now.

desentrix (1 month ago)

Completely agreed-- this is not saying that both fighters are great, but theres too much politics behind this. If all the sponsors and advertisers saw Diana lose... draw your own conclusions.

tkdman30 (3 weeks ago)

yea i agree with u.. its alot of politics with it cuz it has been like 100 years since a whole family has gone 2 da olympics 2gether

ktracy2k (1 month ago)

Major screwjob.

CASteel1 (3 weeks ago)

Ha ha ha...this vid will be gone soon. But I donwloaded it.

taekwondocoach (3 weeks ago)

yah we are done here this is the end of every american real story they stick it up to your uasss many would talk about rejecting it but at the end we'd just get used to it!!!!!!! ha ha ha ha

kenytco68 (2 weeks ago)

THAT IS SOME BS! Hope lopez gets her ass handed to her like sushi in the games... if this shit doesn't get straightened out before then.

AnimatedEnigma (2 weeks ago)

OLYMPIC CHEATING SPORT EVENT _ Do they have any rules ...... or do the cheating judges just do what they have to so the desired competitor wins?????? Looks like thejudges game plan id: Hold off all scoring till the last minute then cheat thei pants off? What do the judges do to them after they get their pantsd off? What a disgusting sport!

Liudmila085 (1 week ago)

OMG!!!! I HAVE NO WORDS!!!!

Buffy85 (1 week ago)

Wtf? wow!! Ive competed in this sport for years and never seen anything like this!! The Lopez family should be ashamed of them selves. What a set up! I have trained with Nia many times and thought id take her side to quickly untill i watched if for myself! and WOW! diana won't make it passed the first round! Usoc what the hell are yall doing? Nia that was yours! Love ya girl! don't worry what goes around comes around! we all know who the real champion is and she fights with her heart! GO NIA!!=)

jaiscot (6 days ago)

I say also the same the usos us getting more & more political everyday. I mean come on everyone seen this & still no change. Its dispicable but everyone knows that it happendeds to the best of us so if the right person doesnt rep. the USA for tkd in the olympics or worlds or pan-am's i guess there just hurting the sports reputation & people dont even wanna fight for usat ne more b cuz of these ref's an horible judging

justinmichael22 (5 days ago)

From that distance the ref should have seen it was on the arm. Oh well.

raguin1 (3 days ago)

Yeah Nia!!! This match shows the lack of integrity in WTF. Those who compete at the nat'l level have witnessed blatant favoritism for Diana Lopez in numerous matches that she should have lost. Obviously, the goal is to promote tkd in the U.S. through the unlikely story of 3 siblings (Steven, Mark, Diana) making it to the Olympics. All this does is to turn me (and I'm sure others ) off to tkd and want to switch to a different martial art. Perhaps BJJ where outcomes are much more obvious (tap).

andorragoldleader (2 days ago)

Man, she was robbed!

muhammadfamily (2 days ago)

Maan she was robbbed!

PubliusAfricanus (16 hours ago)

What's worse is having to be reminded of what selfish people they are every time I turn on the television. Has Charlotte Craig appeared in one interview with them? You'd think it was just the family defending the Americans this year.

Now Watch it for yourself and leave us a comment:

Video: My April 2008 Sudden Death Against Diana Lopez

2008-07-08T13:47:00.001-07:00

Watch the video below of the sudden death round between me and Diana Lopez in April 2008 during the Olympic Trials. Now you be the judge. Did I win or did she? It's OBVIOUS that I beat her. Truth be told, she lost even before this sudden death round. The sport has become corrupted so I want the world to know that Diana Lopez is not the champion. I am!

Nia Abdallah Robbed in fight against Diana Lopez! Family Outraged!

2008-07-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Press Conference & Protest Kicks Off "We Support Nia" Campaign in Houston
Nia Abdallah Delivers first statement since being robbed of Olympic dream

Houston, Texas--"When I won the silver medal in 2004 I was depressed because I felt I'd failed my country when I didn't win the gold. Afterwards, I totally dedicated myself to winning the gold in 2008. Now this", said Nia Abdallah. This was her first statement since being robbed of her Olympic dream. A press conference and rally was held on her behalf at Solomon's Temple of Martial Arts Fitness Center located in the Third Ward Area

"When I was 4 years old I told my grandfather, who was a fan of Jesse Owens, that one day I was going to win the Olympics. Since a little girl I have been headed in this direction. I'm still in shock. I am my own worst critic, but I honestly do not see what I could have done better", she continued in her message to the local press."This is not sour grapes with me. I wish her the best. I just don't want the next kid to go through what I'm going through. This is supposed to be a country where you are free to fulfill your dreams."

"The more I view the fight in its entirety the more nauseated I become", said Brother Deric Muhammad of the MMM Ministry of Justice. "The way Nia was treated was a slap in the face to Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Carl Lewis and to all who opened the way for the elimination of discrimination in the Olympic games."

Joined by several dozen in attendance, Nia's parents, Thomas and Rhonda Duhart are outraged as well. "It is extremely painful to watch her go through this. She worked so hard to prepare herself to represent this country and she was robbed of her opportunity. Something must be done", said Mrs. Duhart.

Mr. Duhart added that, "have always reviewed her fights and taught her to be the best. I can honestly say that she was at her best, but I believe that she was in their way."

There is a worldwide movement afoot to get justice for the 2004 Olympic Tae Kwon Do Silver Medalist. Abdallah was robbed by the 2008 United States Olympic Committee in her Des Moines Olympic trial match against Diana Lopez of the newly famed Lopez family who is now appearing in many corporate sponsored commercials (AT&T, etc.) and who recently appeared on the Jay Leno Show. Videos of the taped battle have been circulating aggressively over the internet where 99% of the viewers vote Nia the winner "hands down". Countless blogs have been on fire with controversy over the injustice and letters are flying off to the USOC committee demanding answers. Nia trounced Diana so convincingly that the crowd erupted into boooos when Diana was declared the winner. While the Lopez family is highly respected in the world of Tae Kwon Do, experts declare that they are going to Beijing dishonorably and fear that the bureaucracy associated with last month's unbelievable outcome will represent a black eye for the future of the discipline which officially became an Olympic sport in the year 2000. Much has been made of the Lopez family being the first American trio of siblings to compete in the Olympics since 1904. But all one has to do is view the Nia vs Diana video and it is clear that their presence there will be more "marketing" than martial arts.

Attorney Warren Muhammad is representing the family and he commented that "While this case is about Nia Abdallah, it is about more than Nia. It is about every child, teenager and young adult who dedicates themselves to sport and aspires to Olympic competition. It is about insuring fairness, a level playing, where truly the best man or woman may win. It is about having rules and procedures in place for a fair and meaningful review, to ensure such fairness, and to protect the integrity of the sport and the individual contestants. These rules and procedures are lacking and wholly inadequate in the current state of affairs in Olympic Taekwondo competition. There is no meaningful review or process available to remedy an egregious, unjust decision, which dampens the spirit and kills the opportunity of contestants such as Nia Abdallah. The current process is a breeding ground for unfairness, subjectivity, collusion and fraud, which should have no place in a country that hold itself out as the standard bearer for Freedom, Justice and Equality. A Congressional Inquiry is needed to determine the merits of what has taken place in the debacle of the Nia Abdallah v Dianna Lopez match and the rules and regulations that govern the competition. "

Supporters of Ms. Abdallah are in protest of the U.S. Olympic Committee's decision to publicly rob the American people of the most qualified athletic representative in that weight class. While international protests are taking place surrounding human rights in Tibet, they are not advocating an attempt to arrest the Olympic torch, which is supposed to be symbolic of freedom.

"I thought it was an outrage…I have heard from Taekwondo stylists all over the country who are outraged by the poor judging", said Floyd Burke of Black Belt Magazine in a released statement.

Protestors are also challenging all Tae Kwon Do athletes and enthusiasts in attendance in Beijing to stand and turn their backs moments before Diana Lopez competes in remembrance of the TKD principle of honor that was violated to advance her to the Olympics. We are demanding a full investigation by the House Judiciary Committee and there must be a change in the appellate process so that no athlete, regardless of race, creed or color will ever be robbed of their dignity and hard work the way Ms. Abdullah was.

"I have watched and watched the video and Nia could have scored as many as four points in sudden death alone….Nia won hands down", said Alan Schein (co-author of the book Tae Kwon Do Basics and and international press correspondent for Masters Magazine.

For more information on the case of Nia Abdallah visit www.wesupportnia.com or www.myspace.com/WeSupportNia.