Anticipate the participation of a minimum of 200 skilled karate athletes in the upcoming 9th edition of the Zainab Saleh International Female Karate Championship, scheduled to take place from November 2nd to 5th at Lagos’s Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Zainab Saleh, the event’s founder, disclosed this exciting news during a press conference held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium’s Sports Bar.
“We are excited to welcome over 200 registered athletes to the competition, commencing on Friday, November 3rd.
The tournament’s activities will kick off with a referees’ course and examination on Thursday, November 2nd, adhering to the standard protocol of African and World tournaments,” Saleh confirmed.
Following the conclusion of the event on Saturday, November 4, awards will be presented to the gold, silver, and two bronze medalists in the Kata and Kumitae categories, spanning across senior, junior, cadet, U-14, and U-12 (10-11) weight classes.
A representative of the Lagos State Karate Association, Saleh expressed her belief that the championship has significantly contributed to the development of women’s karate in Nigeria.
She remarked, “This championship has undeniably played a pivotal role in fostering women’s karate in Nigeria, with several female athletes earning spots on Nigeria’s National Team through this event.
Notably, an athlete from Benin Republic, a consistent participant since the championship’s inception, has competed at the World level.”
She also took pride in observing the progressive improvement in the technical skills of the athletes with each passing year.
Saleh expressed hope for corporate sponsors to offer continuous support, acknowledging that the event has grown beyond the capacity of a single individual to manage.
The championship, which has been an annual event since 2014 (with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), not only seeks to promote karate but also aims to raise awareness of the benefits it can offer to young girls.
Zainab Saleh stated, “I aim to increase awareness about the virtues of karate, especially for women and girls.
Greater participation means a larger talent pool for selection into our National Team, representing us at international events.
We are pleased to announce that more teams from neighboring countries will be joining us.”
She added, “One of our participants has even competed in the World Karate Championships, and I am confident that we can produce athletes capable of qualifying for the Olympic Games.”
Her parting advice to the athletes was to intensify their training efforts and seize every opportunity to showcase their talents.
