By The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has applauded Nigeria for hosting the 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament, which officially kicked off on Thursday at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
ECOWAS Director of Youth and Sports Development, Ambassador Francis Njoaguani, praised the Nigerian government during a press briefing after the vibrant opening ceremony, emphasizing that the tournament promotes cooperation among the 12 participating ECOWAS member states.
Though Cape Verde was absent, Njoaguani highlighted the unifying power of sports in advancing regional integration.
“This programme unites wrestlers from across our member states, strengthening collaboration and reinforcing ECOWAS’ integration agenda,” he said.
With youth making up 54% of the ECOWAS population, Njoaguani stressed the importance of sports in driving economic development and engaging young people.
“Sports foster unity while also contributing to economic growth. Through this event, we are using sports as a platform to spread ECOWAS’ message of integration and youth empowerment,” he added.
The tournament’s opening day featured team events, with countries facing off in group battles. Individual weight-class matches in 65kg, 75kg, 85kg, 100kg, and 120kg categories will follow, progressing through elimination rounds to the semi-finals.
