By Jacob Ajom

Top Nigerian judoka, Esther Augustine is in pains. Not pains from a judo contest or a brawl, but the pain of missing out when the best from around the world gather in Brazil for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Like most of her peers in Nigeria, the beautiful Akwa Ibom born Esther has given up hope of being in Brazil because she has not garnered enough points required to qualify her for the Games. Indeed, no Nigerian judoka has.

“There is no way I can make it because we have not been attending qualifying tournaments,” she said in resignation.

The Mauritius 2013 African Open championship gold medallist said, “the points I scored in that competition in 2013 and the All African Games last year will count for nothing if I don’t compete in two or three more qualifiers before the Olympics.”

She noted with sadness that athletes from other countries were now headed for Morocco for a qualifying tournament. “There is a qualifier in Morocco from March 17 and another in Tunisia, soon after that. We have been told there is no money to attend any of the competitions. I have just resigned myself to fate.” Esther only goes to the stadium to train ahead of the severally postponed National Sports Festival, which nobody is sure of the commencement date.

She said she was sure of garnering enough points that would have qualified her for the Olympics, if she was opportune to attend qualifiers.

“I fight in the 63 kg class and I know what I can do,” she boasted, recalling that her feat in Mauritius did not come easy. “I competed among the best in the world as no fewer than 31 countries were represented at the tournament because it was open. I fought an opponent from Great Britain to win the gold in my class.”

Two Nigerians attended the event and returned home with 1 gold and 1 bronze medal.