Nigeria head for African judo tourney without prep

With less than two weeks to the African Judo Championship in South Africa, the Nigerian team is yet to move into pre-tournament camp. Over twenty four judokas came out tops of the trials organised by the Nigeria Judo Federation, NJF in late April in BeninCity.

Ideally, these judokas should have gove to camp and from the lot the team for the African assault should have been raised.But what the secretariat is engrossed in at the moment are travel plans and how to get the funds required for the championship.

The secretariat has drawn up a tentative list of an eight-man delegation to the championship. The team with four officials and four judokas would be led by Alhaji Ibrahim Matori, the newly elected first vice president of the NJF.

President of the NJF Orji Uzor Kalu had last week on the eve of associations' elections announced that he was going to bankroll the trip and pledged the sum of N2.8 million. But as at today the money had not been released. A source at the NJF secretariat told nigeriasports.com that all the federation has heard about the money was just the news item. Meanwhile, the source stressed that the association was preparing for the trip even with the Kalu money not yet in sight so that they would not be caught on the wrong foot when it eventually arrives.

Judo watchers are however concerned that the countrycould be embarrased with a woeful outing at the tournament without preparing her athletes adequately because in the words of one Essien Ephraim a retired judoka "the African championship is not a place for holiday makers. It is a battle field and only judokas who are prepared can face the opposition". National coach Edokpolor Ihaza and the secretary of the association Gloria Ekwenkpu were not available for their reactions.

Report: IKPO IGBINOBA