Lagos-based martial arts zealot, Zainab Saleh has spoken of her desire to see more participants, sponsors and spectators grace the next edition of the international karate championship, which has been on for five years.
Speaking against the backdrop of this year’s recent event in Lagos, Saleh said she was highly impressed with the positive attitude of the female athletes and coaches at the competition, sports247.ng gathered.
She enthused that the 5th Zainab Saleh International Female Karate Championship was one of the best since inception of the annual event.
The amiable philanthropist-cum-administrator said the organisers of the event will analysis and come up with templates which will enable them put up a better tournament next year.
Saleh added: “This year’s event is one of the best we have seen so far. It took a lot of effort and planning to ensure we got it to a level with which we wanted it to get it.
“A lot of work was put in by the tournament director, Olusegun Akinola who worked tirelessly to ensure that we could have a hitch free event.
“The event was fantastic, of international standard and it was a brilliant event.
“The truth of the matter is that we just want to ensure the event get better every year.
“Most of the things that I have noticed is that we need to make sure that we can get more people coming in to look at what Karate is doing.
“At the same time (we need to) just tidy up one or two places but, all in all, I think the event went very well.
“We will sit down, analysis and look at exactly where we feel we are lacking.
“My target for next year’s international championships, which will be going into the sixth year, God willing, is to ensure that I can get more participation, more sponsors and more people coming out to watch.”
