…Over 400 athletes registered – KFN President

… Suleja Chair advocates youth engagement through Karate

The Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Suzuki Hideo, at the weekend, said that karate has provided a platform for strengthening friendship and people-to-people relations between Japan and Nigeria.

The ambassador expressed appreciation to the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN), which co-organised the championship with the Embassy of Japan, as well as all those who contributed to the success of the competition.

Hideo, disclosed this in Abuja, while speaking shortly after the draws for the fifth Japanese Ambassador’s Cup Karate Championship at the weekend.

The fifth Japanese Ambassador’s Cup Karate Championship has continued to serve as a platform for talent development while strengthening the sporting and diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Japan.

The ambassador said he was delighted to witness the fifth edition of the tournament, noting that the event had, over the past five years, grown into an important occasion for bringing together the Nigerian karate community and promoting stronger ties between the two countries.

Hideo said: “I believe that sports have a special role to play in diplomacy. When people from different countries share a common passion, they can build friendships that go beyond language and cultural differences. Through karate, Japan and Nigeria are able to connect at the level of people-to-people exchange and shared values.

“The continuation of this tournament for five consecutive years shows a strong commitment of the Nigerian karate community. I hope that it will continue to grow and inspire even more young Nigerians to take up karate and discover its values.

“As we celebrate the fifth edition today, I look forward to seeing the tournament develop further in the years ahead and to witnessing the emergence of talented Nigerian karate practitioners who may represent Nigeria on the international stage.“

In his remarks, the President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria, Chukwudi Dimkpa, described the championship as successful, saying over 400 athletes from different states and clubs registered for the competition.

Dimkpa said the athletes had trained rigorously and performed at an optimum level throughout the various events.

He acknowledged that there had been one or two injuries, which he said was normal in contact sports, but noted that the number had been kept to the barest minimum.

According to him, all the injured athletes were doing well, with some returning to competition and going on to win medals.

He said: “We sincerely thank the Japanese Ambassador and the Embassy of Japan for the collaboration and friendship.

“This is the fifth edition, making it five years running, and every year, it gets better. Hopefully, next year will be bigger and better. We look forward to all the benefits that sports friendship brings to both countries, Nigeria and Japan, as well as to the federation and our athletes.”

Dimkpa disclosed that the federation had commenced preparations for the UFAK Championship in Algeria scheduled for September.

He said every competition provided an opportunity to identify talented athletes from clubs, states and participating organisations who could progress to higher levels and represent the country.

Dimkpa described the championship as a KFN-ranked Factor Six event, one of the federation’s highest rankings, adding that it would also contribute to athletes’ grading and ranking.

He expressed particular satisfaction with the large number of junior athletes participating in the championship, describing their presence as encouraging for the future of Nigerian karate.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Karate Association of Suleja, Niger State, Dr. Abdullah Yakubu, expressed excitement over the participation of children in the championship, saying karate was helping to channel their energy positively.

Yakubu said: “My reaction is basically one of excitement, and what makes it very exciting is that we are dealing with children. You can see someone as young as this winning medals. It means that instead of focusing their energy on things that may not help them tomorrow, it is being channelled in the right direction.”

He said children naturally had considerable energy and needed productive outlets through which they could express themselves.

He added, “If you do not give them a space to express themselves, they will find a way to do so. If you do not channel that energy in the right direction, they may channel it in the wrong direction.”

Yakubu said he was pleased that the competition was “catching them young”, rather than focusing only on experienced athletes.

He described the tournament as peaceful and well organised, noting that the low number of injuries recorded was evidence of improving standards in Nigerian karate.

According to him, modern karate places greater emphasis on technique and strategy, while excessive force is prohibited.

He said he was working to increase the number of athletes produced from Suleja and expressed optimism that karate could eventually become a household sport in the country.