Sports
‘Lagos Set For National Judo Trials’
Chairman, Lagos State Judo Association (LSJA), Sheriff Hammed, has assured Nigerians that the state is prepared to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games national judo trials, which was earlier moved from January to this month.
Tidesports source gathered that the tournament, which serves as athletes’ selection for the 2022 Commonwealth Games holding in Birmingham, England, was earlier scheduled to hold from January 26 to 29 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Now, the event is rescheduled to hold from February 22 to 25 at the same venue as the earlier date clashed with zonal eliminations for the 2022 NUGA Games to be hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Over 300 judokas from across the country are expected to participate in the three-day tournament.
The LSJA chairman said the event would give the state opportunity to showcase its facilities and the support the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) has been receiving from the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led government.
“We are excited to welcome the best judokas from across the country in Lagos. We are poised to stage a hitch-free event and we believe we will continue to raise the profile of the sport in a state regarded as Nigeria’s hub of sports.
“There is no doubt that the postponement would afford the athletes opportunity to train well and be prepared for the challenge, as only the best will make it to the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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