Why Nigerian Karatekas Won’t Be At Games

Secretary General of Karate Federation of Nigeria, KFN, Clement Iyaluegbeghe, has explained the reason Nigerian Karatekas will not compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Iyaluegbeghe explained that the exclusion of Nigerian karatekas from London Olympics is not the handiwork of the Nigeria Sports Commission, NSC, but because karate is not an Olympic sport.

“Nigerian karatekas will not be competing at the London Olympics because karate is not an Olympics sport. I want people to know that it is not the NSC that singled out the game from the others sports that Nigeria will compete at the games,” Iyaluegbeghe said.

The KFN scribe said that karate fans should expect to see the sport at the Olympics in the near future, saying the World Karate Federation, WKF, is already taking steps to ensure karate becomes an Olympics sport.

Iyaluegbeghe, however, disclosed that karate will be a demonstration sport at the London Olympics with the aim of making a case for the sport at subsequent editions.

—Bimbo Ajayi