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Akhimien takes karate talent hunt to secondary schools

By Alex Monye
13 July 2022   |   3:36 am
President of Nigeria Shitoryo Karate Union (NSKU), Victor Akhimien, who is also chairman, Nigeria Secondary Schools Karate Association, has revealed that arrangement is on to take the union’s talent discovery project to the country’s secondary schools.

President Shitoryu Karate Union, Pharm Shihan Victor Akhimien<br />

Ogene leads Team Nigeria delegation to Commonwealth
President of Nigeria Shitoryo Karate Union (NSKU), Victor Akhimien, who is also chairman, Nigeria Secondary Schools Karate Association, has revealed that arrangement is on to take the union’s talent discovery project to the country’s secondary schools.

Akhimien, who said the move has become necessary in the country’s bid to raise world-class talents for international engagements, assured Nigerians that the nation’s karate team, led by African gold medallist, Rita Ogene, would excel at the 10th Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Joyful that a Shitoryu karate champion would be part of the Nigerian team supported by KFN, Akhimien said: “It is important to discover more talents from secondary schools. This will help train the child with the basics, which they will develop as they grow in karate.

“The association has established contacts with coordinators in all the states of the federation because taking karate to schools, discovering and catching them young is our goal. We also intend to improve on the physical education content of Karate syllabus in schools.”

Akhiemen pledged his association’s full support to the country’s efforts to excel at the Commonwealth Games, saying, “We will give the team all the needed support to pick medals in England.”

The president also predicted that Africa would soon take its place among the best karate continents of the world, adding that programmes by the Shitoryu bodies in the continent are in line with World Shitoryu Karate standards.

“As part of effort to improve the sport, Nigeria was part of the African countries that participated in the Africa Shitoryo Karate workshop in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire from July 2 to July 3.

“The seminar was organised by Gikashi (Ivoirian Karate Do Shito Ryu Group), supported by FIKDA (Ivoirian Federation of karate) and associated disciplines.

“It was used to develop modern Shitoryu Karate in schools with the help of top facilitators from World Shitoryu Karate Federation (WSKF),” he stated.

Akhimien, who who is a seventh degree blackbelt holder and also doubles as the technical director/ chairman, technical committee of Nigeria Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NMMAF), said athletes would soon commence camping in readiness for the National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State.

They will participate in Mixed Martial Arts as a demonstration sport, he said, adding that the country would also take feature in the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation Youth Championship billed for Dubai in August.

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