Sheriff Hammed: Taking Lagos Judo to New Heights

Since he started paddling the canoe of the Lagos State Judo Association (LSJA) Sheriff Hammed’s tenure has brought a lot of vibrancy to the sport while more young people have also embraced it. He spoke on the strides as well as challenges made with the sport 

From his personal research on judo in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole, Sheriff Hammed was able to discover that judo in Nigeria has had a great history in Lagos.

“We’ve had athletes that started in Lagos and went on to perform at the highest level, including the Commonwealth Games, the Olympics, and more. So, what has changed it’s the need for a sustainable approach to managing our sports resources. This includes people and talents, machinery, raw materials, information, skills, and financial capital.

“As sports administrators, we are responsible for supervising the use of our talents and other resources, to achieve our goals as a state and nation as a whole. However, we (sports administrators and various stakeholders) need to build our capacity to do this. We need to improve our capacity to manage our sports resources very well. Sport is always evolving, and it is business! When you commit resources, you expect outcomes, and all stakeholders must have a clear picture of the vision for the sport. What we have tried to do since I became chairman is to find a similar ground for all stakeholders – the government, corporate organisations and sponsors, our coaches, athletes, and others, and this is what led us to set up the “Judo that Works” campaign,” Hammed expressed.

The Chairman Lagos State Judo Association said the goals of the association is to show judo as more than just a sport, but rather an opportunity for the government to enhance the educational experience of students in Lagos. Also, an opportunity for brands to think long-term, and therefore connect with young Lagosians and Nigerians.

He however admitted that issues like poor awareness, limited funding for Judo, and low participation in Judo as a sport, are symptoms of the greater challenge, of the need for capacity development in sports resource management.

On the giant strides he has made since the assumption of office.  Hammed reacted thus: “I have led a campaign that has helped to create more awareness for judo in Lagos. The Judo that Works Campaign finds root in the three core principles of sports, that is to increase participation levels in Judo, increase levels of inclusivity, and help people progress their level of the sport along a ‘sports development programme. When we kicked off, we started with the Judo and the girl child workshop in 2021, with the aim of teaching self-defense training to girls and women, and then we had the Judo that Works seminar for Games masters and PE Teachers, in 2022 and more, creating awareness for Judo with schools, and young Lagosians. So far, we have engaged over 3,000 pupils in Lagos State. We have also built a sustainable relationship with stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Judo Federation, corporate organisations such as MTN Nigeria, Kellogg’s, and the Embassy of Japan. Part of what we have achieved is the promised donations of judo equipment – judogi, and tatami mats which are on their way to Nigeria and other resources, from the Embassy of Japan.”

On where he sees judo in Lagos in the next few years, the LSJA boss, said: “We have set the tone and built the foundation for the further development of Judo in Lagos. We have built relationships with key stakeholders and helped to set a direction to revive and strengthen Judo in Lagos state. Over the next few years, I expect to see a judo programme that is part of the Lagos State education experience.

“This will help us enhance the educational experience and help us teach very important life values at our schools, at an early stage. Judo’s great eight values are essential values in the development of any society. I also look forward to seeing Lagos State judo athletes at the future World Championship, Grandslam, and the 2024 Olympics in France. We have got amazing athletes and this possibility would go a long way to inspire and motivate them and their coaches.

“On the events and competition side, I look forward to our hosting more local and international workshops, seminars, and competitions. Lagos State hosted the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Trials, NUGA Games at UNILAG, IGP Police Veterans Judo Competition, Judo, and the Girl Child Seminar, and more, in less than 2 years. I look forward to our hosting an African Judo Championship or even a World Judo Championship in the near future. We have what it takes and I believe with the right team and adequate planning, we can achieve this.”

Hammed would indeed like to see a Judo that would improve health through recreation, encourage job creation, and enhance the education standard in Lagos, while creating a safe and crime-free community, in the next few years.

As a way of popularising judo in Lagos, he is hoping to use the football model. “I think we can borrow a leaf or two, from how football has become the most popular sport in the world today. This has come to be because almost anybody, can watch a football game, and tell what is going on. We all know what a tackle is, a foul – handball, a penalty, a football pitch, an 18-yard box, football boots, a goalkeeper, a referee, and more. We can identify all these with ease, and this is an outcome of the way football has been sold to us. If we really think about it, it is all in the power of marketing! The same must apply to any sport that wants to become popular or survive the evolving sports industry,” he noted.

For him, managing judo has given him enough to see the potential in sports, especially coming from a marketing background and having worked with various brands and marketing campaigns.

“I have been trained in knowledge and experience, to identify potential. Aside from this, my experience as chairman of LSJA, has helped me function from a place of understanding the potential of Judo, and other forms of sports, for Lagos State. These two experiences have influenced my perception of sport and development in Lagos state,” he said.

Hammed believes sports can also help Lagos State and indeed Nigeria tell their story, influence positive mindset, and inspire young Lagosians to become the best they can be, by helping them to understand healthy competition.