Judo: We Are Storming Birmingham 2022 Games With Nigeria’s Best, Says Howell

OKAFOR MOSES CHINEDU

The Board of Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF) says it will leave nothing to chance to ensure that medal hopeful judokas are presented in the 2022 Commonwealth Games which holds in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

To this end, the Board says the ongoing Commonwealth Games Trials at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos is being used as a platform where the best of the country judokas are selected for the Games, which holds from 28 July – 8 August, 2022.

Vice President of Nigeria Judo Federation, Mrs Loveth Howell, who doubles as the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Trials told journalists that the Board put together the tournament to give Nigerian judokas chances to prove themselves so that the best can be chosing for the Commonwealth Games.

According to Howell, after the Trials which ends on Thursday evening, the federation will put the successful judokas in a national camp to further train and groom them for the Commonwealth Games.

“Our plan is to take gold medal potentials to the Birmingham Games. I am glad to say that the enthusiasm showed by the athletes has been so high because it has never been like this in the Nigerian judo,” Howell said.

Amos Iliya, the Technical Director of the federation informed that as at Day 2 of the Trials, a total number of 124 judokas from 19 states and clubs across the country are participating in the competition tagged Road to Birmingham.