The Nigeria senior judo team received a significant morale boost on Tuesday as the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, paid a surprise visit to their training camp, pledging logistics support ahead of the Africa Senior Judo Championship in Kenya.
“I salute your dedication and commitment, but at the same time I urge you all to stay disciplined at all times and put in the hard work to achieve a successful outing in Kenya,” Olopade told the judokas.
He added that the commission is determined to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the team is adequately prepared for the competition.
The NSC chief further conveyed warm greetings from the Chairman of the Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, who is keen on seeing judo attain its full potential through adequate support.
He emphasized that this year’s championship in Kenya also serves as a crucial pathway to the Olympic qualifiers, highlighting the seriousness the commission has attached to the team’s camping and preparations.
“Be rest assured that all your requests have been approved. Your job is to go out there and do the country proud in both performance and conduct,” Olopade reassured the athletes.
Team captain Kehinde Aremu expressed gratitude for the morale-boosting visit, noting that it has further ignited their determination to make Nigeria proud on the continental stage.
The Director General departed the camp amid cheers and smiles from the judokas after personally giving them some cash as a token of appreciation.
The Africa Senior Judo Championship is scheduled to hold from April 20 to 29 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Persecondnews reports that strong performances at the African Championships contribute directly to the IJF World Ranking points, which form the backbone of both direct and continental qualification.
Continental championships like this one in Nairobi are treated uniformly for point allocation and expiration rules to ensure fairness across regions.
For the Nigeria senior judo team currently in camp, this tournament represents a critical opportunity to accumulate points, gain continental ranking advantage, and position themselves for the 24 African quota spots available for LA 2028.
Success here can boost their standing on the African Continental Ranking List and feed into the global IJF rankings.
The full qualification cycle will continue through major events such as the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku, various Grand Slams and Grand Prix on the World Judo Tour, and other continental opens, culminating closer to the 2028 Games.
Nigeria’s athletes, backed by the National Sports Commission, will be aiming not only for medals on home soil for African rivals but also for those precious ranking points that could secure an Olympic ticket to Los Angeles.
The championships are expected to be highly competitive, with top judokas from across the continent battling for glory and qualification momentum.
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