Get Guardian on GoogleThe first Governor Alex Otti National Judo Championships came to a thrilling end on Wednesday, at the Umuahia Township Stadium, Abia State, with Edo State emerging champions.
The three-day competition, organised by the Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF) in collaboration with the Abia State government, attracted more than 250 judokas from 15 states and five clubs across the country.
The participating states included Bayelsa, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Benue, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Osun and Kwara.
Edo secured the top spot on the medals table with an impressive haul of four gold, three silver and four bronze medals. Akwa Ibom finished second despite also winning four gold medals, as they managed two silver and three bronze medals to trail Edo on countback.
Rivers State claimed third position with two gold, one silver and one bronze medal, while Enugu finished fourth after recording one gold, one silver and three bronze medals. Host state Abia completed the top five with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
In recognition of their performances, the top three judokas in each weight category received cash prizes of N250,000, N150,000 and N100,000 respectively.
Speaking after the championship, Acting Technical Director of the Nigeria Judo Federation, Sule Musa, commended the government and people of Abia State for hosting a successful tournament.
He also expressed appreciation to the leadership of the National Sports Commission (NSC), led by Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director-General Bukola Olopade, as well as the International Judo Federation (IJF), for their support in strengthening governance, promoting accountability and improving the administration of judo in Nigeria.
According to Musa, the championship served as a platform for discovering new talents and provided athletes with the motivation and exposure needed to develop their skills.
“A lot of promising judokas have been discovered through this championship. The level of motivation, encouragement and competitive exposure provided by this event brought out the best in many of our athletes and revealed the enormous potential within Nigerian judo,” he said.
He expressed confidence that Nigerian judokas can compete favourably with their counterparts from North Africa if given adequate opportunities, proper preparation, institutional support and quality leadership.
Musa also revealed plans by the federation to develop a strategic and sustainable roadmap for the sport. According to him, the initiative will focus on grassroots development, talent identification, coach and referee education, improved technical standards, international exposure and overall growth of judo in Nigeria.
“The future of Nigerian judo is promising. With the right leadership, commitment, collaboration and investment, we can take our sport to greater heights. Together, we can rebuild, reposition and elevate Nigerian judo,” he added.
