NIGERIA’s 2015 World Karate Champion, Henry George, has called on all tiers of government to organise regular Martial Arts competitions to develop more talents for the sports.

George told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Port Harcourt that there were many raw talents idling away due to lack of competitions.

According to him, individuals in Nigeria have made impact in the martial arts but as a nation, it is still at infancy stage due to little attention to them by the government.

“It is quite unfortunate that we do not have a single role model in combat sports considering the bunch of talents in the country.

“The government has not really looked inward at the development of these talents, and this is the government’s responsibility,’’ he added.

George, who is the President, Mix Martial Arts in Nigeria, said the government could also come up with a policy that would encourage private investors in the sports.

According to him, karate as a combat sport lays little emphasis on medals but it helps in curbing youths’ restiveness.

“One of the martial arts core values is that it is capable of influencing the manner a person thinks.

“Martial arts are the oldest and the most treasured Asian culture because of its core value system.

“It has to do with integrity, loyalty, self-control, self-confidence, respect, ability and hunger for improvement because there is no perfection in it,’’ he said.

He said that the health benefits of combat sports were enormous as the kind of muscle developed through the sports made one healthy. (NAN)

– Jun. 11, 2018 @ 12:25 GMT |