The Nigerian team to the forthcoming African Kickboxing Championship holding in Madagascar in June, 2016, would be selected at the National Kickboxing Championship holding in Ilorin, Kwara State, from May 17-22, 2016.

President of the Nigeria Kickboxing Federation (NKF), Dr. Abubakar Adebayo Ishola, who dropped this hint in Lagos said Nigeria must have a strong presentation at the African Championship and that informs the need to organize the National Kickboxing Championship where the best athletes would be selected to represent Nigeria in Madagascar next month.

Ishiola also reasoned that Nigerian kickboxers have not been attending African tournaments for some time and there is an urgent to re-launch Nigerian kickboxers to the continent.

"We must go with our best kickboxers and that is why this Ilorin National Championship is very important," he said. The NKF boss also appealed to states to release their athletes for the competition so as to have the opportunity of being selected for the continental championship.

There is also an officiating course fixed for May 18, 2016 in Ilorin, according to Wilson Okon, of the technical committee.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of NKF, Paul Okocha, has warned that payment of outstanding affiliation fees will be the major criteria for participation and advised states yet to complete their payments to do so before the commencement of the championship, even as he informed that states are to carter for the accommodation, feeding and transportation of their athletes to and fro Ilorin.