The Pathetic State Of Nigeria Judo And The Way Forward.

Shihab-Iredia Osakue

Domo Arigato to all the well meaning sensei(s), judokas and other stake holders in the affairs of the sports, I suppose, we all cherish and contributed our time as youths to develop. In the same vein, we were able to develop the body and mind in line with the rudiments of judo, so that we could achieve success and make Nigeria proud. This we did with zest and pride!

Since the inception of judo in Nigeria, those knowledgeable in its history will unarguably accent to the fact that the theory of yesteryears that brought judo on its feet still remains the only structure standing till date, irrespective of the fact that the game has tremendously evolved steadily in other civilization.

In Nigeria, judo practitioners are still considered, especially in the minds of many as never-do-wells owing to reasons best known to them, and until we exorcise this spirit of unholy stigmatisation, nothing good will come. Our history is uninteresting to tell, more so because those that were in charge in the years under review did not see tomorrow – they merely played their part and left the game in the hands of destiny.

Nevertheless, at another point in time, there was a vigorous drive across the judo family in terms of educating the mind and Lagos state was at the fore of this pursuit, when many judokas were students in the university – and no wonder, today, the present Technical Director is a product of that dream. This story was made possible because Lagos state had Sensei Prof. Alexander Desouza who encouraged education and the quest for knowledge. Kano, Edo, and some other states were not left out and I repeat; the cream of willing coaches and referees of today came through that process.

Irrespective of the above effort and glory recorded at international level, judo has not been given its pride of place within the sports community in Nigeria and this lack can easily be attributable to those who sought for self rather than the progress of the game – and hitherto, some of the fragments that are still in the helm of affairs are unperturbed and only consumed in their diabolical whims to the detriment of the game.

The writer can remember vividly how selections of judokas were made in the past and all the funny gimmicks of officers who were suppose to look straight and not left nor right. The failure of today, I dare say is due to the conscienceless individuals who reigned with disregard to the future.

Athletes train day in day out with little or nothing to eke out a living, but determined to develop self and pursue career that could offer the opportunity for a decent life. Many could not achieve it because of conspiracy during competitions by referees and in connivance with coaches both in the states and national. Those that would have excelled during active years and move ahead to becoming good professionals left with scars etched on their minds.

The voyage of destruction that was embarked on many years ago, as we can see, has become a burden, squarely hanging on the shoulders of those who mean well for the game.

The present predicament in the soul of judo is a sort of comeuppance, especially to those who rode on the shoulders of deceit and unmerited gratifications. This is an open secret and to those who were within the ranks and privy to it, will undoubtedly agree with the writer that “shit happened” even though some might be aggrieved by considering this piece as an exposé that speaks directly to their conscience.

The pitiable pitfalls are still evident in the way competitions are conducted, how judokas are treated both in some of their respected states and at the national level, officiating officers fail to do the right thing and worse still, incentives are with held for petty reasons, election into the national governing body is unencouraging – the federation is in the habit of not bringing people with expertise on board.

Judo is an art, a sport and science, therefore those who lack judo technical know-how cannot dispense management and this is exactly why the game is undergoing a terrible, but avertable situation. In other sports, many of those on board are people that have done it before and are conversant with the technicalities involved to manage the federation.

To this end, there are plethora of solutions to the under development of judo in Nigeria and many who speak truth to power will agree with me that the above complaints are the deep rooted causes and if we agree, then, it serves as a point of departure in proffering a lasting solution.

The way forward:

1. Judo in Nigeria needs a standard reformation and in achieving this, there must be people that are willing to sacrifice their time .
2. The federation must create an enabling environment where everybody can duly and adequately participate.
3. Election into the national body must be done in good faith and those coming on board must be people with the interest of the game at heart.
4. Programmes geared towards the propagation and redefinition of judo must be prioritised and state associations must be active participants in the drive.
5. Sponsors for all national and international engagements must be sourced ahead through solicitations by the national body.
6. States must endeavour to participate in competitions and also support the national body when there is need.
7. Referees that are prone to unpardonable blunders to the detriment of judokas must be dealt with in accordance with the spelt out rules.
8. Training of coaches through symposiums and international orientation programmes must be encouraged.
9. Ex-judokas with the right resources should be allowed into the national body ex-officio or elected.
10. Ex-judokas in the diaspora should be reached or possible have a diaspora representative that can source for funds and facilitate the participation of judokas in competitions.
11. The federal government or sports ministry must be encouraged through the performance of judokas in international engagement and the Judo Federation’s Chairperson must act as a lobbyist.

.Mallam Shihab-Iredia Osakue writes from Italy.