Organisers of the just concluded one day  ‘Karate For All Ages’ Championship said that the tournament enabled karatekers to horn their skills, improve their competition level as well as help coaches and instructors to access what they’ve taught their fighters.

The karate for all ages saw athletes in different age categories compete for honours in Kata and kumite, displaying exceptional skills 

Kata and kumite are two fundamental components of karate training that are interrelated and support each other

The annual championship is for both male and female athletes 

Organiser of the championship  Ibrahim Muse while  highlighting  the importance of the championship said that  it has helped in further development of the game noting that the large turnout of athletes, coaches and instructors is an evidence of it’s popularity and acceptability by all karate stakeholders in the country.

” We the organisers are happy that the number of participants keep on increasing every year and what the athletes learn at  the end of every championship  cannot be quantified because it enables them to compete in a friendly environment, watch the skills of others and note their areas of weakness  and how to  improve on their skills”, he stated.

The championship which is in its 7th edition, came to a successful end on Saturday, December14, 2024 at the Gymnasium Hall of the National Institute For Sports, Lagos and attracted  more than 400 karatekers from various clubs.

Chief Instructor and member of Nigerian Association of Shotokan Karate, Sensei Alfred Ohimain said 

the huge turn out of  athletes is an indication that the championship is a household name in the country and they’ll continue to improve on the successes recorded over the years.

” Basically,  the major reason why we organise this championship every year is to develop karatekas, give them enough opportunity to exhibit their skills and also give coaches and instructors enough opportunity to access what they’ve taught their athletes and I can tell you that we’re getting it right with the championship.

“As you can see, we have a very large turnout of athletes who are about 450 which is the biggest anywhere in the country. All the athletes who are of all ages,  had the opportunity to participate in both Kate and kumitae and I can tell you that with this championship, we’ve succeeded in moving the sports forward in the country 

Ohimain, a 7th Dan who also doubles as a board member of Karate Federation of Nigeria expressed appreciation to their sponsors for identifying with them even as he appealed for more sponsorship of Karate competitions to enable Nigerian athletes up their game and  be at par with their counterparts from other parts of the world.

Meanwhile some of the athletes who participated in this year’s championship have commended the organisers for putting up a seamless competition.

A gold medalist, Azeez Abdulahi, who said this year is his second time of participating in the championship noted that the experience he garnered in last year’s edition propelled him to go for the gold medal.

” I was here last year but couldn’t make a podium finish but the good thing was that I learnt a lot and when I went back home, I improved on my skills which gave  me gold this year. So, I must give kudos to the organisers for the exposure and opportunity to improve on our form which the competition has afforded us and I urge them to keep the flag flying as the championship has really changed the face of karate in the country.

In her own remarks, Miriam Tijani said that although she was not fortunate to win a medal but she commend the organisers for the amazing championship which she said afforded her the opportunity to learn new things about the techniques of the  sports.

At the end of the championship, medals and certificates were awarded to participants in the various weight categories.

Vice president, Traditional sports Federation of Nigeria Basheer-ud-dean  Adetokunboh Agusto is optimistic of more laurels for the country at major competition 

Augusto who led a team of male and female  athletes to the just concluded world normad games held in astana where nigeria won a gold medal in Ayo olopon said nigeria would have won more laurels if they had travelled with more athletes 

In readiness for the next edition of the nomad games which is an Olympic event for traditional sports billed for less than 2 years the federation during the week commenced  training and workshop for Tugusmalacka sport which is similar to Ayo olopon

” The seminar is to introduce the Tugusmalacka  to Nigerians, it is similar to Ayo olopo but different in the style of play. There is also plans to have a mini competition to know how well nigerian athletes have embraced the sport”

Both national coordinator Ayo traditional game in nigeria, Joshua ogunbiyi and head coach Lagos State traditional sports kassim oniga speak on the impact of the seminar ahead of next edition of the nomad games

The athletes commended the federation for the training and promised to keep flying the country’s flag higher 

At the certificate were awarded to all participants 

The World Nomad Games  are an international sport competition dedicated to ethnic sports practiced in Central Asia. 

The World Nomad Games have become a platform for demonstrating the cultural heritage, sports skills and traditional sports of nomadic nations, promoting the strengthening of cultural ties and mutual understanding between the peoples of different countries.

The next event in 2026 will likely head back to Kyrgyzstan, where the inaugural event began in 2014

Renowned sports enthusiast,  Varnavas Varnava, has urged the Nigerian Government to prioritize investments in athletes and sports development. 

This call to action comes on the heels of the recent Olympic Games, where Nigerian athletes faced scrutiny for their shody performance and failure to win a single medal at the games 

Varnava emphasized that Nigeria has a long way to go to qualify a d win laurels at  the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. 

“Nigeria has to be represented correctly in the olympic games because what we saw at the Paris olympic game is not a correct  Nigeria representation” he said 

He stressed that the government needs to take the lead in injecting financial resources into the sports sector. By doing so, he assured that sponsors would be more likely to come on board, ultimately boosting the country’s sports development 

” Talking about athletics, a lot of importance has to be here, you have the resources, you have the people, i think that the government has to start first then I’m sure many sponsors will come along to help.” he adds 

By prioritizing investments in sports, Nigeria can unlock the potential of its athletes, improve its chances of qualifying for international competitions, and ultimately, bring pride and glory to the Nation.