A total of 82 Judokas are expected to compete for honours at the 1st Judo Classics Championship holding at the University of Port Harcourt Indoor Sports Hall in Port Harcourt, Rivers State from 14th to 17th December, 2023 www.aclsports.com reports.
According to the Technical Director of Nigeria Judo Federation, Amos Iliya; the 1st Judo Classics Championship will serve as trials for judokas who will represent Nigeria at the forthcoming African Games in Ghana.
Iliya said the Federation selected the best five in each weight class (men and women), while giving others wild cards to participate in the classics due to their previous performances.
He 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”.
The former National champion said the country still stands a chance of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games if they attend 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”.
