The President of the Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF), Dr. Musa Oshodi, has made a passionate appeal to the government at all levels, as well as well-meaning individuals, groups, and corporate bodies, to collaborate with the federation to promote the growth and development of the sport in the country.
Dr. Oshodi, who made the appeal, stated that the federation has already set up a sponsorship and marketing committee, which has worked diligently to generate funds and secure sponsorships for organizing and attending championships within Nigeria and abroad.
He disclosed that, to enhance the growth of judo in the country, the government at all levels, along with well-meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies, will need to complement the efforts being made by the federation to raise funds for the development of the sport in Nigeria.
The Judo President noted that the federation will hold a judo championship on October 28 in Abuja, where all the sporting zones will converge to identify judokas who will be nurtured and developed. In addition, the championship will be used to celebrate the birthday of the sport's founder, Jigoro Kano, a Japanese national.
He also revealed that various zones have recently completed their zonal eliminations to determine the athletes who will participate in the championship, which is held every quarter with the aim of refining existing athletes and discovering new ones.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the federation is in the process of helping its judokas earn more points, which will qualify them for international competitions. He added that soon, three or four athletes will have secured enough points to be eligible for international championships.
Dr. Oshodi emphasized that the only challenge hindering the participation of athletes in international competitions, apart from the points they have accumulated over the years, is the lack of funds, which can amount to millions. He noted that the last competition he attended alongside an athlete cost around N6 million, which would need to be multiplied by the number of athletes attending if the number increased to six or more.
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