President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Hon.Daniel Igali says the country plans to dislodge North Africans in the Greco-Roman event. Igali disclosed this at the one-day retreat on understanding the new laws of wrestling and governor Wike’s Sports development programme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“We have over 180 wrestlers scattered across 3 centers which are in Bayelsa, Ondo and Rivers States”. “Currently, the North Africans are dominating the Greco-Roman event. Egypt are the best followed keenly by Algeria, South Africa too are not out of the equation. But I can assure you, Nigeria will give them a fight for their money because we are hosting the African Championships”, Igali said.
“The threat is real from the Egyptian national team, there is no tournaments in world they don’t attend. In wrestling, they have done excellently well and get support from their government”, he said.
He noted that, “In the past, we had Greco-Roman wrestlers like Godswill Tiebri, Philip Momoh, Olawale Akala, Amos Ojo, Ibo Oziti and many others paid their dues by making Nigeria proud in the event. The wrestlers we have now can perform well in this year’s African Championships.”
Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Boma Iyaye, Commissioner for information Emma Okah, President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation Daniel Igali, President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria Honour Sirawoo amongst top editiors and Sports Writers were present at the event.
After the retreat, the local organising committee took participants on a tour of facilities for the African Wrestling Championship at the Alfred Diete Spiff Sports Complex, Port Harcourt.
