Judo’s lone woman goes for the broke

Nigeria Judo Federation’s lone voice for women, Chief Comfort Aiyekpeku has promised to bring her dream of revolutionizing the sport in the country to a reality. In a chat with nigeriasports.com in Lagos, she declared: “I must confess that, judo in Nigeria has not attained a level of which we should be proud. The truth is that, there are enough female judokas in the country, but the have not enjoyed an equal height of opportunities as their men counterparts.”

The Judo queen, who is a representative of the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS), said that she was going to the judo summit holding in Egypt, to have a first hand information on women in judo at the highest level.   “I am not going to the summit in Cairo, Egypt for the sake of it.  I am going there, to garner experience that would help me in developing a blueprint for the game in Nigeria,” she announced.

Mrs. Aiyekpeku disclosed that her dream is to have more championships for women at the grassroots and at the national levels.  This she hoped, “would stimulate the development amongst women at the same level with their male counterparts.  ”The ‘Judo Lady’ bankrolled her Egyptian trip as a part of the four-man delegation flying the nation’s flag at the global judo championship, which is expected to run through September 3, to 12, 2005. 

She is attending both the summit and championship under the status of an observer.  An International Judo Federation, IJF Grade A referee, Professor Alfred De Souza is also a self-sponsored member of the Nigerian delegation.  Others on the delegation to the World Judo Championship, include; the Federation’s first-Vice President, Alhaji Isa Matori and the Secretary, Mrs. Tayo Oreweme, who are on the sponsorship bills of the Federation’s President, Governor Orji Uzor Kalu.

An apparently impressed Media Coordinator of the Judo Federation, Mr. Ikpo Igbinoba could not hide his feeling about the two self-sponsored delegates stated:  “They have demonstrated a high sense of patriotism and commitment with this trip to Egypt.  “They have done this not for themselves, but for the nation and have thus, blazed a trail that others should follow.  We want a era, whereby, federation members should be picking their bills to attend international assignments instead of waiting for the government or other individuals to sponsor them, the media man remarked.

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