Abuja – Mohammed Aliyu, Technical Director of Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF), on Friday in Abuja said the absence of some judokas expected to arrive for the Federation’s trials has delayed it’s commencement.
Aliyu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the trials holding at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Academy was a build-up to the 2015 All-Africa Games (AAG).
NAN reports that the trials was expected to have begun on Friday, but most judokas were yet to arrive the venue of the trials as at 4 p.m.
“The trials cannot start today, because a lot of the judokas are not yet here, especially our best judokas. So, we decided to wait for them,’’ the technical director said.
He however disclosed that as at the last count, they had about 80 judokas on ground from 16 states and clubs.
On the late arrival of the judokas, Aliyu said this was because most of them were sponsoring themselves to the camp.
“Most of these judokas are self-sponsored. The state governments do not have money, not to talk of their Sports Councils.
“So, whenever they come, we will give them the chance to participate, since it is a trials. We (the Federation) cannot sanction them,” he said.
Aliyu also said this had to be because the aim of the trials was to get the best judokas to represent the country at the forthcoming AAG.
He however disclosed that the Grand Patron of the Federation and Commandant-General of NSCDC, Ade Abolurin, had provided free accommodation for the judokas at the Academy during the trials.
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NAN reports that the trials was expected to hold from Friday to Saturday, but will now only hold on Saturday.
The 2015 AAG is scheduled for Brazzaville in Congo from Sept. 4 to Sept. 19.(NAN)
