The outgoing Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria (KBFN), CSP Abubakar Yakubu, has outlined his plans to take martial arts, particularly, kickboxing to greater heights.
In a chat with journalists in Lagos, the police officer, while restating his desire to be reelected as president of KBFN, was quick to reel out his achievements.
Yakubu gleefully recall how his administration ensured that kickboxing was restored into the National Sports Festival after it was suspended in 2012. During his tenure, KBFN held the National Kickboxing championship in Yenagoa, in 2018, including the National Championship and Referees Seminar in Asaba, 2021.
KBFN also participated in African Kickboxing in Cameroon, 2018; World Championships, Turkey in 2019. Importantly, it also achieved recognition as Olympic sport.
Moving forward, the former versatile athlete and awards-winning administrator, hinged his reelection ambition on his articulated developmental plans to take the sport to greater heights and make it better accepted.
Yakubu promised to lead KBFN to successfully host the next African championship in Nigeria having reached agreement with the African body.
He revealed that Nigeria currently ranks as first and second in the sport in West Africa and Africa, respectively. And it is a part of his plans to make kickboxing the best in Africa.
There are plans to also make kickboxing a household sport in Nigeria through youth programs in secondary and tertiary institutions, as well as, the introduction of diverse disciplines, especially, Tatami (points fighting) which will particularly appeal to a broad spectrum of interests.
Conclusively, there are plans to create a standardized pathway for amateur athletes to turn professional. And make KBFN financially self-reliant and able to cater for the welfare of athletes and officials for the betterment of the sport in Nigeria.