Enku Ekuta’s Commonwealth Games dreams about to be shattered

By Dare Kuti

What excuse does the Nigeria Judo Federation have not to take the most consistent female judoka, Enku Ekuta (63kg women) to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom?

I have tried as much as possible to stay away from the Nigeria Judo Federation because of personal reasons but my conscience will not let me be. 
For those of you that do not know the family Enku Ewa Ekuta hails from; her mother is a multiple National Judo Champion, African Champion, All African Games Champion and Olympian. 

Enku Ewa herself, is a National Youth Games Champion, National Sports Festival Champion, Nigeria University Games (NUGA) gold medallist, West African University Games (WAUG) gold medallist, former  African Champion.
Enku Ekuta won silver medal at the 2019 African Judo Opens in Cameroon and a bronze medal at the 2019 African Judo Open in Senegal. The young judoka became an African Champion at the 2020 African Judo Opens in Senegal and later bagged a bronze medal at the 41st African Senior Championship in Madagascar still in 2020.

Enku Ekuta became the first Nigerian to attend a Grand Slam after a decade and she narrowly missed out at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic.
Accugas decided to send the young Judoka to Edinburgh Judo Club in Scotland since April because they believed she stands a better/brighter chance of making Nigeria proud at the Commonwealth Games but lo and behold she was advised to come Nigeria for a National Trials in June.

Lo and behold, we do not have an idea whether the Nigeria Judo Federation have held their trials but it is in the public domain that the Federation has submitted a list to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports with Enku Ekuta name missing. 

Well, I want to believe that the President of Nigeria Jud Federation, Dr Musa Oshodi is not aware of this development because many of us hold him at high esteem or are the sins of the father and mother about to be visited on the children?
As I speak, only two Judokas stands a chance of representing Nigeria at the 2022 World Championship and Enku Ekuta is one of them.

Watch out for the concluding part next week Tuesday.

Enku Ekuta’s records from 2019 to 2021:
 AFRICAN OPENS CHAMPIONSHIPS (YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON)Medalist:Enku Ewa Ekuta – Silver (-63kg)
 AFRICAN OPENS (DAKAR, SENEGAL) 2019. Enku Ewa Ekuta – Bronze (-63kg)
 AFRICAN OPENS (YAUONDE CAMEROON) 2020.Enku Ewa Ekuta – Bronze (-63kg)
 African Opens (Dakar, Senegal) 2020.Enku Ewa Ekuta – Gold (-63kg)
 AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR) 2020.Enku Ewa Ekuta – Bronze (-63kg)
 African Opens (Dakar, Senegal) 2020.Enku Ewa Ekuta – 5TH  (-63kg)Highest rank and only Judo player in Nigeria in the IJF web site 
TASHKENT GRAND SLAM 2021- 14th place
Ranged 82 in the world, with 255 points.