Sports

NJF Board Passes Vote of Confidence in President Musa Oshodi

Published

2 months ago

August 19, 2026

Joel Ajayi

Board Hails Visionary Leadership Following Historic Commonwealth Games Medal

The Board of the Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF) has unanimously passed a vote of confidence in its President, Dr. Musa Oshodi, commending his visionary leadership and efforts towards repositioning judo in Nigeria.

The resolution was adopted on Monday, August 18, 2026, during the Federation’s statutory board meeting held online. The motion was moved by the NJF Vice-President III and Technical Director, Omo Oba Segun Gbayi.

The vote of confidence followed the historic bronze medal won by Nigeria’s Enku Ekuta in the women’s -63kg category at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Ekuta’s podium finish ended a 24-year medal drought for Nigerian judo at the Commonwealth Games, with the country’s last medal coming through Alice Livinus at the Manchester 2002 edition.

Board Commends Transformative Programmes

In a communique issued after the meeting, the Board attributed the recent breakthrough to deliberate policies and programmes implemented under Oshodi’s leadership.

The Board particularly commended the administration for its efforts in three key areas:

Grassroots Development: The conduct of transparent Commonwealth Games trials in Abuja, which provided athletes with a credible pathway to selection and produced Ekuta and other qualifiers.

Athlete Preparation and Welfare: Improved training camps, international exposure and enhanced support systems that have enabled Nigerian judokas to compete more effectively on the international stage.

Continental Success: Consistent medal-winning performances at the African Judo Championships, including Ekuta’s gold medal in 2020 and silver medal in 2019.

“Dr. Oshodi has repositioned Nigerian judo and taken it to enviable heights through purposeful leadership, accountability and athlete-centred programmes. The Commonwealth medal is proof that our system is working,” the Board stated.

Board Pledges Sustained Growth

The Board described Ekuta’s Commonwealth Games achievement as symbolic and a significant boost for Nigerian judo, noting that the success should encourage greater investment in grassroots development, athlete welfare and high-performance programmes.

It reaffirmed its commitment to building on the current momentum as the Federation looks ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games, African Games and other major international competitions.

Responding to the vote of confidence, Dr. Oshodi thanked the Board for its support and dedicated the Commonwealth Games medal to Nigerian judokas, coaches and stakeholders who have contributed to the growth of the sport.

He pledged to consolidate the gains recorded under his administration and work towards making judo one of Nigeria’s most consistent medal-winning sports on the international stage.

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Sports

Folsa School, GSS Kuje, Others Shine at Inaugural AFFAN Abuja Chapter Relay Race

Published

6 hours ago

October 30, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

It was an atmosphere of excitement, enthusiasm and healthy competition as close to 300 schoolgirls from 12 schools across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participated in the maiden edition of the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), Abuja Chapter, Inter-Area Council Junior and Senior Secondary Schools Relay Race.

The competition, held on Friday at the Main Bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, provided a platform for young female athletes to showcase their talents, promote grassroots sports development and encourage greater participation of girls in athletics.

The historic event brought together students from various junior and senior secondary schools across the FCT, with participants competing in different track events, including the 100-metre race,4×100-metre relay, 4×400-metre relay and relay competitions for school girls.

Participating junior secondary schools included JSS Kuje, JSS Hajj Camp, JSS Kwali, JSS Abaji, Government Secondary School (GSS) Gwagwalada and Folsa School.

In the senior secondary category, the participating schools were GSS Kuje, GSS Gwagwalada, GSS Kwali, Total Child School, Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Abaji and Folsa School.

In the junior girls’ 100-metre race, David Jimata of GDSS Kwali emerged winner to claim the gold medal, while Mercy Monday of Total Child School settled for silver. Kudirat Abdulaziz finished third to win bronze.

In the senior girls’ 100-metre event, Patricia Habillah of Folsa School claimed gold, while Mojinatu Sulaiman of Total Child School won silver. Youana of GDSS Abaji secured the bronze medal.

The junior girls’ 4×100-metre relay saw JSS Kuje emerge champions, while JSS Hajj Camp, Gwagwalada, finished second. JSS Kwali took third place.

In the senior girls’ 4×100-metre relay, Folsa School clinched the gold medal, while GDSS Abaji secured silver.

The competition also featured the 4×400-metre relay, with GSS Hajj Camp emerging winners in the junior category, ahead of GSS Kuje, who finished second, while Folsa School claimed third place.

In the senior 4×400-metre relay, Folsa School finished first to win gold, while GSS Gwagwalada secured silver and GSS Kuje settled for bronze.

The maiden competition underscored the importance of providing young girls with opportunities to discover and develop their sporting abilities through organised grassroots competitions.

It also offered participating schools an opportunity to identify promising athletes who could be nurtured for future competitions at national and international levels.

The initiative by AFFAN Abuja Chapter is expected to contribute to the development of female athletics in the FCT while inspiring more young girls to embrace sports and pursue their dreams in athletics.

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