Sports

Judo US Open: Nigerian 56 Years Old Shines Amid 500 Judokas

Published

4 years ago

September 5, 2022

Joel Ajayi

The 33rd edition of the United States Open Judo Championship must have come and gone. but the memories of being the only medal winner will remain fresh in the memories of a 56 years old Nigerian.

The journey to the silver medal award for 56-year-old veteran Nigerian Judoka, a police officer by profession DCP Olatunji Disu at the just concluded US Open Judo Championship was indeed rough but ended in a celebration for the entire Populous black race.

He is indeed a champion, victor, and goal-getter who did not allow challenges to stop him from winning a medal at the World Judo Open Championship in the US. The challenges ranging from going into such a magnitude event without a coach to guide him, because of the visa issues, but the super-cop made it to theUS; he saw and conquered because of his determination and unflinching love for the game of Judo.

Team Commander of Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, DSP Disu, without any iota of doubt defiled every odd to ensure that Nigeria’s green and white flag flew higher at the just world event.

He soared among more than five hundred veteran champions from across the world, as the fans were raising the Nigeria flag high in the foreign land courtesy of efforts put in place by Nigerian Judoka.

It was an outstanding, noteworthy extraordinary effort, facing over 500 Judokas from different continents at the world fiesta, most especially world number one, Woods Glen of the United States to achieve the feat, after participating in the veteran minus 100kg category of the competition of the veteran division and made a podium finish.

His love for the game is second to none, having started playing the Game of Judo back in his secondary school till university days, he has represented his state, Lagos in many national championships.

In his youthful days, DCP Disu clinched two gold medals at the 1990 edition of the National Sports Festival in Bauchi and a recipient of two gold medals at the few Nigeria Police Games he participated in.

No wonder, the former Lagos Judo Association chairman has been promoting the games in Nigeria and beyond.

Also, in November 2021, Disu won gold at the first veteran championships organised by the Nigeria Police, through his office as the Chairman, NPF Judo Association.

Notwithstanding his busy schedule, the Super-Cop who heads the reformed crime bursting department, Intelligence Response Team , IRT, has been an ardent practitioner of Judo over the years and the Silver Medal at the world level indeed will propel him to do more for the growth and development of the game in Nigeria.

However, Judo sports is a tremendous and dynamic combat sport that demands both physical prowess and great mental discipline with so many health benefits, both psychological and physical, especially in children.

Judo is an excellent activity for young kids because it builds healthy and robust muscles early on, improves their cardio, and lowers their cholesterol. Children who participate in judo have reduced risk of childhood obesity, heart disease, and osteoporosis, even as they become adults. It also sets the foundation for them to become healthy and active adults who appreciate the importance of physical activity.

Meanwhile, Sports is an important and integral part of the upbringing of youths. Judo sports are one of the sports that need to be propagated more in the country to have a better peaceful society.

Importantly, this added feat by DCP Disu in the faraway United States, as he conquered over 500 Judokas to bring silver laurel to Nigeria will remain indelible in the annals of Judoka Federation and posterity will remember him for his adroitness in the game of Judoka, having made Nigeria proud in youth and still stand out in this his golden age, DCP Disu has set a record that would take time to break. Disu should be inducted in the Nigeria Judo Hall of Fame because he deserves it.

Share on Facebook

Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

9 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

Share on Facebook