In the euphoria of claiming one silver with five athletes that competed in the judo event of the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival tagged Edo 2020, the chairman of the Lagos State Judo Association Sheriff Hammed has avowed to revive the sport’s glory in the state.
Speaking on the backdrop of the silver medal won by Adebukola Adeyanju in the -78kg after losing to her Delta State counterpart in the final, Hammed believes the association would work to groom more athletes like Adeyanju that will do the state proud in subsequent tournaments.
“I must say that the judokas did not perform badly in Edo as we had one silver from the five athletes that featured in the event,” he said.“ The performance could have been a better but there was a drastic reduction in the number of athletes in judo than other sports due to COVID-19 protocols with our entries reduced from 14 to five.
“With this outcome from Edo 2020, the association will go back to the drawing board by looking at the lapses and find lasting solutions to the dwindling fortune of the sport in Lagos.
“I see the festival as a test run for the athletes who have been match-rusty for over three years. We hope to put many things in place to boost the athletes,” he added.
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