Edo State have emerged overall champions of the maiden Governor Alex Otti National Senior Judo Championship, which concluded on Wednesday at the Umuahia Township Stadium in Abia State.

The three-day competition, organised by the Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF) in collaboration with the Abia State Government, attracted over 250 judokas representing 15 states and five clubs from across the country.

Participating states included Bayelsa, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Benue, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Osun and Kwara, among others, with athletes competing across 12 weight categories.

Edo State topped the medal table with an impressive haul of four gold, three silver and four bronze medals to claim the overall title.

Akwa Ibom State also secured four gold medals but settled for second position after recording two silver and three bronze medals, finishing behind Edo based on the overall medal count.

Rivers State occupied third position with two gold, one silver and one bronze medal, while Enugu State finished fourth with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Host state Abia completed the top five after winning one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

As part of the incentives for outstanding performances, the top three athletes in each weight category received cash rewards of ₦250,000, ₦150,000 and ₦100,000 for first, second and third positions, respectively.

Speaking after the championship, Acting Technical Director of the NJF, Sule Musa, commended the Abia State Government and its people for their hospitality and successful organisation of the competition.

He also acknowledged the support of the National Sports Commission (NSC), led by Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director-General Bukola Olopade, as well as the International Judo Federation (IJF), for their contributions towards strengthening governance, promoting accountability and improving the administration of judo in Nigeria.

Musa described the championship as a significant opportunity for talent discovery, noting that the competition had exposed the growing potential of Nigerian judokas.

"A lot of promising judokas have been discovered through this championship. The level of motivation, encouragement and competitive exposure provided by this event brought out the best in many of our athletes and revealed the enormous potential within Nigerian judo.

"We are more confident than ever that Nigerian judokas can compete favourably with their North African counterparts if given the right opportunities, adequate preparation, institutional support and quality leadership.

"We also look forward to attracting more sponsorships and partnerships to support our programmes, competitions and athlete-development initiatives," Musa said.

The Acting Technical Director further disclosed that the federation was working towards introducing strategic and sustainable development programmes to establish a clear pathway for the growth of the sport across the country.

According to him, the proposed initiatives will focus on grassroots development, talent identification, coach and referee education, improved technical standards, international exposure and broader athlete-development opportunities.

"The future of Nigerian judo is promising. With the right leadership, commitment, collaboration and investment, we can take our sport to greater heights. Together, we can rebuild, reposition and elevate Nigerian judo," he added.

The successful conclusion of the maiden championship represents another step towards expanding competitive opportunities for Nigerian judokas while strengthening the sport's development and administration nationwide.