9th June, 2019
Adegboyega Adeniji-Adele, a Lagos-based Kickboxing coach, on Sunday said Muslim athletes under his supervision would undergo extra training to cover for period they lost due to the just concluded Ramadan.
Adeniji-Adele told NAN in Lagos that the extra training became necessary as all athletes were expected to compete in the proposed national championships very soon.
“The Ramadan observed by all Muslims did not always allow our Muslim athletes to participate in our training then , so we permit them to participate in the compulsory religious obligation .
“Now that the fast is over, training will commence in full gear but our Muslim athletes will be subjected to extra activities as part of the measures to makeup for lost days.
“Besides, some international tournaments are coming later this year; and the federation is planning a national event soon to select athletes that will represent the country,” he said.
He said that the schedule would be centered on refreshing athletes memory on current fighting techniques and to bring them at par with their peers who were training while they were observing the Ramadan.
Coach Adeniji-Adele added that the athletes were expected to be abreast of current fighting techniques in national championships by sharpening their skills for the task ahead.
“We need to regularly keep athletes abreast of the obtainable, and that we maintained during the Ramadan without our Muslim athletes, and all our athletes are aspiring to compete in the proposed national championships.
“It will be a credit to a good coach to see that all athletes under him excel in championships, so I am inspired to go the extra mile for all my athletes,” he added.