82 Judokas Battle For African Games Ticket At Uniport

No fewer than 82 Judokas will slug it out at the first Judo Classics Championship at the University of Port Indoor Sports Hall from December 14th to 17th.

The Championship is expected to serve as a trial for the African Games in Ghana in 2024.

The Technical Director of the Nigeria Judo Federation, Amos Iliya, revealed that five Judokas were picked from each weight class (Men and Women) while others qualified through wild cards due to their previous performances.

Iliya said: “All the logistics have been put in place for the Classics in Port Harcourt and athletes have arrived.

“The essence of the Judo Classics is to select athletes who will represent Nigeria at the forthcoming African Games in Ghana next year.

“We have selected 82 Judokas because the classics are meant for the best Judokas in the country.

“In each category, the Nigeria Judo Federation selected 5 players and gave some players wild cards because they could not attend some championship; the Federation is aware some of them are elite athletes,” he said.

Iliya said Nigeria can still qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers if they can book a place in the last round of qualifiers next year.

He said, “There are other chances of attending the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers but we are seeking the support of the Ministry of Sports in order to give us financial backing and I believe we can qualify.”

The opening ceremony is expected to be held on Thursday evening while the competition kicks off on Friday.

The 2024 African Judo Senior Championship will be held in Egypt in March.