190 athletes grace Optimum Impact Karate Championship

By Akeem Lawal

OVER 190 athletes drawn from 30 clubs and 43 schools in Lagos State participated in the Optimum Impact Karate (Under 18) Championship 2016 held at the Mobolaji Johnson Indoor Sports Hall, Rowe Park in Yaba, Lagos, last weekend.

The event saw athletes battled it out for honours in Senior and Junior individual Kata and Kumite and Junior team Kata and Kumite who are not more than 3years.

The Chairman of Lagos State Karate Association, Alfred Ohimai while commending Optimum Impact Youth Development Foundation for their continuous sponsorship despite the economic downturn in the country, believes with more of such competition, next year will be better in terms of Karate development.

“We are blessed to have Optimum Impact and I’m really grateful that even in this seemingly difficult time, they still will continue sponsoring the competition. They had the chance to tell us to come back next year, things are not balanced well, but they still stay committed to the competition and we are grateful to that.

“Honestly I thank God for where we are but I believe we should go higher. A lot of work has to be done. We went through challenges this year, but next year coming up, we have to cope with the so called recession even though we are used to it. 

Now we have to struggle with recession and get the best out of what we can do. We can’t fold our arms and die, it is not the Karate way, that is not sportsman way. Even though things are bad, we fight and turn it around for good and that is what we have to do. 

“Everybody will tighten his belt and get ready because there is work to be done. The world will not wait for us, the world will continue moving, it is our responsibility now to put together and make sure that we start the year strong and finish the year strong and by next year, we will have an entirely different story,” Ohimai said.

Program Manager, Optimum Impact Youth Development Foundation, Dr. Bello Omololu said the foundation remained committed in using sports to prepare the young ones for future in leadership.

“Optimum Impact is a non-governmental organization that believes in improving leadership competence of children and one of the modules we teach is what we called kinaesthetic intelligence in kind of physical health.

“Our major involvement is that we believe that sports, particularly martial arts helps to improve the physical intelligence of children, particularly helping them in improving concentration, their memory, helping them in coordination, helping them to have good self confidence and comportment and preparing them for future in leadership. 

“So basically we partner with Lagos State Karate Association in continuously helping to develop the karate as a sport, apart from our normal regular educational programs,” Omololu said.