Mr Dave Jegede, the Technical Director, Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN) says the kiddies Karate Championship is capable of boosting sports development in the country.
Jegede was speaking on Saturday during the opening of the championship organised by the Classic Martial Arts at the indoor Sports Hall of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja. He said that the competition was aimed at discovering and utilising new talents and skills in order to prepare them for greater opportunities ahead.
Jegede said: ”The championship is to help us grow grassroots athletes aside the fact that karate helps in self defence.
”It also helps us to grow and feed athletes into the sporting world.
”So, if they start early, just the stage they are right now, they get the necessary orientation, they will be groomed.
” They need to equip themselves for subsequent championships in the future, as we all know it now karate is in the Olympics.
”So, starting from this stage helps them to have a beautiful course, good vision, and help us prepare better athletes.”
Jegede, who commended the courage and determination of the kids, expressed optimism that their future was bright in the sporting world.
He added: ”Their performance is outstanding as a result of their constant training because they grew up doing it so since they have this kind of exposure and experiences.
”It will give us an edge over other athletes that might be starting new, even in the Olympics.”
Also speaking, the Chief Instructor, Classic Martial Arts (CMA), Shihandai Johnson said that the championship was introduced to promote karate as a sport among the kids.
”The idea is to promote karate to a point where children will be so engaged in it as a physical activity and also as a means of self discipline.
”The essence of the championship is to catch them young, to catch the promising athletes from the pool so that we can groom them for national and international competitions.
”So, starting from this stage helps them to have a beautiful course, good vision, and help us prepare better athletes.”
Jegede, who commended the courage and determination of the kids, expressed optimism that their future was bright in the sporting world.
He added: ”Their performance is outstanding as a result of their constant training because they grew up doing it so since they have this kind of exposure and experiences.
”It will give us an edge over other athletes that might be starting new, even in the Olympics.”
Also speaking, the Chief Instructor, Classic Martial Arts (CMA), Shihandai Johnson said that the championship was introduced to promote karate as a sport among the kids.
”The idea is to promote karate to a point where children will be so engaged in it as a physical activity and also as a means of self discipline.
”The essence of the championship is to catch them young, to catch the promising athletes from the pool so that we can groom them for national and international competitions.
”So, for those who are able to win medals, and go up to other competitions, there are promises of engagements in other international competitions abroad.
” Because, we are taking it from the lower level so that these kids will grow up as teenagers to become champions in the art of karate,” Johnson said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition featured kid-athletes between five-to-seven years category, male and female categories between nine-to-eleven years, as well as female category aged between eleven-to-thirteen years.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria
