LAGOS – Bruce Idigbogu, an international kickboxing coach, on Sunday urged Nigerian athletes to remain focused in spite of the challenges militating against the development of the sport in the country.
Idigbogu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the dearth of national competitions and the exclusion of kickboxing from the National Sports Festival were among the challenges affecting the sport.
“We have some challenges affecting kickboxing in Nigeria and this has discouraged some athletes from training regularly, which is not the best,’’ the coach said.
He, however, admonished the athletes that they still had a lot to gain by regular training, despite the inactivity in kickboxing and dearth of competitions.
The coach said that athletes would enhance their knowledge about the sport and sharpen their competitiveness through regular training.
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Idigbogu also urged stakeholders to do the needful in order to reposition the sport in the country.
He said that through collective effort, the sport could be revived to regain its lost glory.
“The only way we can forge ahead and get kickboxing back to where it belongs is by working together as a unit.
“We need to forget about the past and our differences, to reawaken this sport that has won medals for the country at the international level,’’ Idigbogu said.
He appealed to corporate bodies and individuals to support the growth of the sport by sponsoring its programmes. (NAN)