The board of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) has unanimously passed a vote of confidence on its president, Hon. Daniel Igali, who is in the middle of his second four-year term in office.
In a meeting on the sidelines of the just-concluded 3rd Gov. Dickson National Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa, the board members gave the Olympic and World champion the nod following his outstanding result-oriented leadership of the federation.
The board members noted that aside producing great results at both international and global competitions, wrestling in Nigeria has experienced tremendous development under Igali’s watch.
Speaking on behalf of the board, Chris Amkpila said the members decided to give Igali, who is also a vice president of the Commonwealth Wrestling Board, the endorsement because he has virtually fulfilled all the campaign promises he made halfway into his second tenure.
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“We passed a vote of confidence on him because he is one person that has delivered on all his promises. He became the president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation on the fulcrum of the fact that he is going to develop the sport. And we have seen the moves; he’s been developing this sport from the grassroot even to the upper level,” Ampkila, who represents the North-Central zone on the board, said.
“For us granting him this vote of confidence this period, we also discovered that he sponsored a lot of states that could not come (for the 3rd Gov. Dickson National Wrestling Classics) , he sponsored them. He personally took it upon himself because of the love he has for wrestling. So, he brought these people to come and compete here (Yenagoa).
“And he has done a whole lot of things that made us know that this man is ready to develop this sport.
“Whether we are ready to move with him or not, he is moving forward. And thank God everybody in the board is moving with him.”
In 2018, the former member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly used his international relationship and network to attract the hosting of the African Senior Wrestling Championships to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the first time the continental flagship tournament was hosted in Nigeria and in sub-Saharan Africa.
Under his leadership, Nigeria have won multiple gold, silver and bronze medals at the African Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, All Africa Games, with the likes of Odunayo Adekuoroye, Blessing Oborududu, Aminat Adeniyi, Amas Daniel now global wrestling icons.
During his first term in office in 2015, Hon. Igali singlehandedly built the ultra-modern Dynamite Wrestling gym, where athletes from the National team and Bayelsa State, till this day, train in preparation for major tournaments within and outside Nigeria.
