The 33rd edition of the U.S. Open Judo Championship may have come and gone, but the memory of being the only medal winner will remain fresh in the mind of 56-year-old Nigerian jodoka, DCP Olatunji Disu.
The journey to the glamorous outing for veteran Judoka and a police officer at the US Open was indeed rough but ended in a celebration for the entire black race and Nigerians in particular.
He is indeed a champion, victor, and goal-getter who did not allow challenges to stop him from winning a medal at the World Judo Open Championship in the US. The challenges ranging from going into such a magnitude event without a coach to guide him because of visa hitches, but the super-cop made it to the US and conquered the world for his determination and unflinching love for the game of Judo.
He soared among more than five hundred veteran champions from across the world, as the fans were raising the Nigeria flag high in the foreign land courtesy of efforts put in place by Nigerian Judoka.
It was an outstanding, noteworthy extraordinary effort, facing over 500 Judokas from different continents at the world fiesta, most especially world number one, Woods Glen of the United States to achieve the feat, after participating in the veteran minus 100kg category of the competition of the veteran division and made a podium finish.
His love for the game is second to none, having started playing the Game of Judo back in his secondary school till university days, he has represented his state, Lagos in many national championships.
In his youthful days, DCP Disu clinched two gold medals at the 1990 edition of the National Sports Festival in Bauchi and was a recipient of two gold medals at the Nigeria Police Games he participated in.
No wonder, the former Lagos Judo Association chairman has been promoting the games in Nigeria and beyond.
Also, in November 2021, Disu won gold at the first veteran championships organised by the Nigeria Police, through his office as the Chairman, NPF Judo Association.
Notwithstanding his busy schedule, the Super-Cop who heads the reformed crime bursting department, Intelligence Response Team , IRT, has been an ardent practitioner of Judo over the years and the Silver Medal at the world level indeed will propel him to do more for the growth and development of the game in Nigeria.
DCP Disu has set a record that would take time to break and should be inducted in the Nigeria Judo Hall of Fame.
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