Delta State Wins Hajiya Zainab Saleh, Female Open Karate championship

Delta State has emerged the winner of the maiden edition of Hajiya Zainab Saleh, Female Open Karate Championship which ended over the weekend at the Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas sportshall, Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The State tops the medals table with four Gold, one silver and one bronze medals to amass six medals at the one-day competition that attracted seven states and two martial arts clubs.

Delta state, won four Gold Medals through Omotayo, Olayinka in individual Kata, Ogunsanwo Aderonke in minus fifty kilogramme, individual Kumite, Ugbochi Nwaimoh in minus fifty-five kumite and Akpa Blessing in plus sixty-eight kilogramme.

Lagos State clinched the second position with one Gold, two silver and five bronze medals followed by Ogun-state that had one Gold and two silver medals while Federal Capital Territory, Abuja came fourth with one Gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Imo State rested on the fifth position with one silver medal, just as Niger state had only two bronze medals to earn a sixth position while Cross River state had only one bronze medal.

The sponsor, Hajiya Zainab Saleh, said the high rate of competitions for male karate athletes spurred her to sponsor the competition in an effort to improve the status of Nigeria’s female karate athletes.

Saleh, who acknowledged that the tournament would help the female karate athletes to improve on their technical abilities to improve their performance, said the championship would enable the participating states to prepare better for the National Sorts festival, in Calabar, Cross-River state, adding that regular competitions would encourage the athletes to win laurels at both national and international events.

She appealed to private individuals to delve into sponsorship of karate competitions to uplift the standard of karate in Nigeria.