Ecowas @50: 11 countries arrive in Abuja for the African wrestling championship

Eleven Member States of the Economic Community of States of West Africa (Ecowas) are in Abuja for the 13th edition of the African Wrestling Tournament of the Sopper that begins on Thursday 8 March 2025 at 10 March 2025.

Tuesday, turning to a press conference in Abuja, the director of the EcoWas Youth and Sports Development Center (Eysdc), Francis Chucks NjoAguani, said that the tournament is part of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Eciwas.

Njoaguani, who is also the resident representative of the EcoWas in Burkina Faso, said among the 12 current Ecowas members, only Green Cape did not show interest in the tournament.

He said: “We have two categories of competition. Member States will compete against each other, before a series of round eliminations. We will eliminate until we reach semi -finalists, four semifinalists.

“On Friday we will return to the same field at the Velodrome and make individual weight categories. All wrestlers fight each other in the same weight categories. So, if you have 11 countries that present wrestlers in category 65, for example, they will fight around Robin, they eliminate each other until we have the four semifinalists for each of the five weight categories.

“These weight categories include 65 kilograms, which we only dedicated to women wrestlers. 65 kilograms and 75 kilograms, those two smaller categories of weight, will be for women, therefore 85 kilograms, 100 kilograms and 120 kilograms will be for the male categories, “he said.

He added that all the semifinal matches, the matches of third place and the final games to determine the gold, silver and bronze medals for this year’s tournament, took place on the last day.

He also revealed that the winner in team sports would earn $ 10,000 while the second and third position would return home respectively with $ 6000 and $ 3000.

However, he said: “For each of the individual weight categories, there are also prices. So, for the first position of each category, receive $ 2500, for the second position, get $ 1500 and for third position, get $ 1000.

“There will be medals for all winning athletes and there will also be certificates of participation for all athletes and delegations.

The deputy director of the National Sports Commission, Ikana Mobo, assured the support of the Nigerian government at the tournament, expressing the promptness of the country to host an unforgettable event.