The 13th edition of the ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament has been declared open and is officially underway in Abuja Nigeria’s Capital, marking the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS as an instrument of regional unity and collaboration.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu leads the regional body as the Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to champion unity, economic development and the advancement of sports as a tool for peace and regional cohesion.
Speaking at the opening ceremony held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, said the tournament is a testament of the region’s collective commitment to promoting cultural ties and strengthening the bonds that unite West Africans which is a thing of pride for Africans.
“Traditional wrestling is more than just a sport, it is a cherished cultural heritage that has been passed down through generations, binding our people across West Africa,” Dikko said.
“It embodies the spirit of resilience, strength, and discipline-qualities that define the character of our great continent.”
According to the NSC Chairman, Nigeria is proud to host the prestigious event while reaffirming its commitment to the promotion and development of traditional sports.
“Through events like this, we provide a platform for young athletes to showcase their talent create Wealth by earning a living through sports, build camaraderie and inspire future generation,” Dikko added.
The Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), Francis Njoaguani, appreciated the Nigerian Government for accepting to host the tournament first time Nigeria.
He said the program brings together wrestlers from all the 12 member states, which strengthens collaboration and foster cooperation among member states as sports is a tool for bringing people together in unity.
“We believe that this is one of those factors of integration that ECOWAS is talking about within the framework of ECOWAS Vision 2050,” Njoaguani said. “Particularly the area involving human development, where our job is to improve the welfare of our citizens and ensure greater collaboration and improvement of the lives of our people”
“We have seen ECOWAS Marathon, now we are seeing ECOWAS Tri-General Wrestling. There are lots of activities on the bill for the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS beyond the two sporting activities that you have seen.”
“There will be a special program in Nigeria, where you have the only surviving father of ECOWAS, His Excellency General Yakubu Buwan, to honour him as part of the founding fathers of ECOWAS who today is still alive.”
“There will be activities in all the ECOWAS member states, we have schools debates in a number of member states. We have tennis tournaments, football tournaments, outdoor bowling, cycling, athletics and all these activities are spread across all 12 member states of ECOWAS.”
The majority of those who are in sports are young people and so that is a huge chunk of our population that sports bring together, not just the participants themselves, but also the economy that sports drives,” Njoaguani concluded.
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