By Femi Atolagbe

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The Head Coach of Ondo State Judo, Oluwatoyin Ojo Emmanuel has attributed his team’s success at the just concluded Oshodi Foundation National Open Judo Championship to dedication, the game was held at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan Oyo State.
The 2018, Nigeria youth Games in Algiers in a chat with Sporting Hope averred that any athletes that is ready to go far in sports must be ready to pay the sacrifice attached to greatness.
According to him, “it’s not easy, we have been trying on our own motivating the athletes with the little we have, the athletes know what it take to get to the top of their career, that is why, despite all they are passing through they could still go ahead and do better at the Open Judo Championship.
“The athletes know they have to start from somewhere before they could get to the national and international level, that is why they a paying the sacrifice.
He added that the best from his team was not manifested during the last National Sports Festival in Edo State due to lots of politics that played out over there, saying the host state wanted to win at all cost, while others came with huge money to buy their ways to the medals table.
The officiating at Edo Festival was nothing to write home about, one of my athletes pinned some body that passed away ,in Judo when someone is passed away the other one has already win ,but in that case my athletes was not declared winner ,that was our experience at the Festival.
“Since then, we made up our mind that such would not repeat itself, both coaches and the athletes have been working hard, training hard to put a stop to such day light robbery.”
“I recommended in my report after the festival that our management should be sponsoring us to any available courses, in order for us to have people on the table with them.”
He commended the Council’s management for sponsoring three coaches to course, we won’t relent on our efforts at continuing doing the state proud.
“He added that, “We appeal to the state government to look into the payment of the athletes allowance to make our job easy.”
Ondo State emerged the winner of the Open Championship with four gold, two bronze and also won Best Behaved Team and their coach coasted home with the Best Coach of the Championship, Nigerian Navy came second with one gold ,two silver and three bronze medals, Edo occupied third position with one gold ,two silver and two bronze with Nigerian Police Force fourth with one gold ,two silver and two bronze.