Mawere hails Japan’s support to judo
FortmelePr
Lusaka Zambia
Government has thanked the Japanese government’s continued support and promotion of judo,
among other sports, in the country.
Minister of Sport Youth and child Development Moses Mawere said Japan’s support to had undoubtedly contributed to uplifting Judo development in the country.
“Your support towards Judo development has contributed to Zambia winning medals at regional and international events”, Mawere said.
Mawere said his ministry was particularly grateful to both the Japanese Government and Zambia Judo Association for contributing to sport development. “The 2012 National Sports Policy advocates for hosting of such tournaments in order to give utmost opportunities to Zambian athletes to gauge their performances through competition,” he said.
And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hidenobu Sobashima pledged to build upon the long standing cooperative relations between Zambia and Japan.
Sobashima urged Zambian judokas to remain focused and committed if they were to excel during the 2020 summer Olympic games in Tokyo.
Sobashima said that Zambian judokas had the potential to compete both on the local and international levels.
“I look forward to witnessing Zambian judokas, particularly the finalists, demonstrate these, when they compete for top positions, as winners of this tournament may be going to Tokyo in 2020 to represent Zambia. “We look forward to receiving strong judokas䬀froⰀ m Zambia in Tokyo and viewing them win medals,” Sobashima said. And Zambia Judo Association president Alfred Foloko commended the Zambian Government for introducing Judo as one of the physical sports in schools.
Foloko said his association was grateful to the Japanese government for the continued sponsorship to judo development which he described as a growing sport.
More than 100 judokas from 6 judo clubs yesterday took part in the 2018 Japanese Judo Cup which was held at the OYDC over the weekend.
Outstanding teams and judokas were later awarded trophies and medals.