Hajiya Zainab Saleh whose name is synonymous with the game of Karate has said her selection as one of the nominees for this year’s Sportsville Special Recognition Awards is a big boost for the development of the combat sport in Nigeria.
For nine consecutive years, Hajiya Saleh has singlehandedly sponsored the Zainab International Female Open Karate Championships that is now a household name in Africa, and capping it up with Sportsville Special Recognition Award is said to be the icing on the cake.
“Honestly, I am thrilled by this recognition coming from a credible organisation like Sportsville. I thought I was just doing my best to uplift the sport, a kind of giving back to the society.
“I never knew people were taking interest in our little contributions to support young girls and women who want to make a future out of Karate.
“With this recognition coming as a pleasant surprise, I will continue to do what I have always done and more for as long as I can,” said the fourth Dan Black belter, World Judge, African Referee and member of the Karate Federation of Nigeria.
Hajiya Saleh and Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi are the only two women nominated for this year’s award.
Other awardees in the Special Recognition Category of the SportsVille Special Recognition Awards which holds on Friday, March 1 at Eko Club in Surulere Lagos are the presidents of the Handball Federation, Scrabble & Cricket, among others.
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