Kickboxing federation embarks on 2018 road map targets

The Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria says its participation in upcoming international competitions in 2018 would be met as part of efforts to enhance the sport’s profile and that of its athletes.
The Secretary of KBFN, Peter Njoku, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos that the body would participate in the Africa Kickboxing Championships after a two-year absence.
Njoku said the World Association of Kickboxing Organisation sanctioned competition would hold in Yaoundé, Cameroon from March 19 to March 24.
He said: “It’s part of our agenda to improve on our activities this year at all levels, so an opportunity has presented itself by virtue of the forthcoming African Championships.
“As a member of WAKO, we are expected to participate in its programmes and that prompted us to make it this year because we missed the 2016 and 2017 editions.
“The championships is almost here and we are working hard to tidy up necessary arrangement that may affect us in any way and to avoid fire brigade approach.’’
Meanwhile, Nelson Oluigbo, a member of the technical committee of the body, has assured Nigerians that the improvement would galvanise the medal haul in the forthcoming championships.
Oluigbo told NAN that the athletes were able to prove their mettle in the National Championships in Bayelsa in December and would resume camp in February for the task ahead.
He added that 12 kickboxers made up of eight males and four females were expected to compete in the lowkick, full contact and K-1 events that would be featured in the championships.
He said: “The athletes that will be representing us are on ground, the selection was purely on skills, individual performance at the national championships and camping will commence soon.
“The athletes have remained committed in training in spite of irregular activities and that drive made the national competition tough, which also gave us opportunity to identify the best in their categories.’’
According to him, the eight athletes that represented the country in the 2015 edition came back with 3 gold, one silver and a bronze medal in their various events.