Focus On Talent Discovery, Kick Boxer Advises Festival Organisers

A gold medalist at the World Kickboxing Championships in New York Loveth-Patra Ekufu,  has urged the organisers of the 18th National Sports Festival to focus on its objective of talent identification.

Ekufu, who fought in the female 50kg category, sponsored herself to the world championships which  held in March 2011.

She had at the 2006 National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, tagged “Gateway Games” won a gold medal in the -48Kg category.

She told newsmen in Lagos that it was important to win medals but the purpose of the festival which is talent discovery must be given its appropriate place.

The Delta state-born Ekufu said that participating to win at all cost was derailing the goals of the competition which are to discover talents and promote the unity of the country.

“The important thing is to identify talents at the grassroots, we must not allow winning of medal to take precedence over the progress of sports,’’ she said.

According to her, kickboxing is a growing sport that has potential to develop youth and as such athletes involved in it should be encouraged to make careers in the martial art.

She appealed to state associations and federation to use the opportunity offered by the festival to look for talents that would be groomed to stardom.

“Athletes are keen on exhibiting their talents during the festival, so I advise state associations and the national body to key into this occasion and discover talents,’’ she said.

Ekufu also advised athletes who would participate in the festival not to be aggressive but endeavour to show their skills.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) should support the federation to ensure that talents who would be discovered were not left to their faith by organising follow-up programmes, she said.

She also called on technical officials to adhere strictly to the rules in their officiating at the Games to enhance the effort to discover talent.

A  three-day refresher course was organised in October by the NKF where the officials were acquainted with the new rules of the sport.