By Amgber Kumo
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr. Daniel Igali has requested the National Sports Commission to include traditional wrestling, Kokowa and Canoeing in the 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, slated to start from May 16 through 30, 2025.
Dr. Igali made the request when he received the victorious Nigerian team to the just-concluded 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He noted that it was sad for the nation to host a competition that has West African countries while traditional wrestling, popularly known as Kokowa, as a sports is not included in the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta.
The commissioner, who described the scenario as an irony, opined that traditional wrestling is one cultural event that is common to every state in the country, pointing out that there is an element of traditional wrestling in every culture in Nigeria.
He explained that since 1998 traditional wrestling has always been included in the National Sports Festival especially on the backdrop of hosting the entire West Africa in Nigeria, maintaining that not including the said traditional wrestling in the National Sports Festival sounds odd when viewed against the background that the country just hosted a wrestling tournament of the West African sub-region.
Igali, who doubles as the President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), equally called on the National Sports Commission to add Canoeing into the list of events to be completed for, at the festival, stressing that canoeing is one sports in which the nation has huge chances of winning gold medal at the next Olympics games.
According to him, it is worrisome that a sport that has been featured in the last two editions of the Olympic Games was not included in the National Sports Festival, that ought to serve as a breeding ground for the the nation’s athletes, urging the leadership of the commission to have a rethink because the absence of canoeing in the events of the forthcoming sports festival is an aberration.
Earlier in a remark, president of the Nigeria Wrestling Traditional Federation, Chief Olomo Agbadabina appreciated the Bayelsa State Government and the athletes for the show of dexterity throughout the tournament in Abuja.
Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi in an interview, asserted that the contingent’s triumph was a testament of the Bayelsa State government’s developmental policies in the last five years.
Sir Wodi thanked the governor, Douye Diri and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo for giving priority to the development of sports since assumption of office, stating that the athletes have shown that they are worthy ambassadors of the state.
Team Nigeria won two silver in team event while Ebi Biogos and Ebipadei Milabofa won gold in the female 76Kg and 66Kg respectively at the 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament in Abuja.
