LAGOS – An international judo referee, Alexander De Souza, on Wednesday appealed to the Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF) to organise regular competitions for its athletes to produce world beaters.
De Souza told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that judo athletes were dedicated to training but had no regular platforms to showcase their potential.
According to him, a regular platform where the athletes can continuously test their prowess will be appreciated.
“The thing is we have to have regular tournaments. Definitely, most of these athletes train regularly. This I know very well because I’m a technical man too.
“But the problem is they need regular tournaments; they need corporate sponsorship; they need a lot of assistance from the government.[eap_ad_2]
“Like Judo we have our classics, Grand Prix, Grand Slam, we have different types of tournaments; almost every other week there is a judo tournament somewhere.
“And the more tournaments you attend the better player you become.’’
According to the referee, sponsorship from government, corporate bodies and sports-loving Nigerians will go a long way at encouraging the athletes to put in their best in the sport.
De Souza also said the country had abundant talents who could do the country proud at international events if they were properly monitored and adequately motivated. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]
