The Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS) has counseled the Nigerian authorities for agreeing to host the thirteenth ECOWAS African Wrestling Event, which commenced on Thursday with a vibrant opening ceremony on the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Nationwide Stadium in Abuja.
Ambassador Francis Njoaguani, the Director of Youth and Sports activities Growth for ECOWAS, expressed his appreciation whereas addressing journalists after the opening ceremony, highlighting the significance of the match in strengthening cooperation among the many 12 member states of ECOWAS.
Though Cape Verde was absent from this 12 months’s occasion, he underscored the importance of sports activities as a unifying pressure that contributes to the mixing targets of the regional bloc.
“This programme brings collectively wrestlers from all our member states,” Njoaguani acknowledged. “It strengthens collaboration amongst nations and showcases the unifying energy of sports activities. We imagine that this can improve the mixing issue that ECOWAS advocates.”
Statistics point out that younger individuals make up 54 per cent of the inhabitants inside ECOWAS, and a majority of sports activities members belong to this demographic. Njoaguani famous the essential function that sports activities play in financial improvement and youth engagement.
“Sports activities not solely join members but in addition drive financial progress,” he stated. “We purpose to leverage sports activities to unfold the message of ECOWAS relating to integration and youth improvement, that are important to our overarching targets of improvement and human capital enhancement.”
The match is ready to start with staff occasions, the place competing nations will face off in opposition to each other. Tomorrow, wrestlers will take part in weight classification bouts throughout classes of 65kg, 75kg, 85kg, 100kg, and 120kg.
Matches will observe an elimination format till semi-finalists are decided.
Njoaguani prolonged an invite to the general public for the ultimate day of competitors on Saturday, when the semi-finals and finals will happen. Medals and prizes might be awarded to victors on this concluding day of the match.
As the thrill builds, the match goals not solely to showcase athletic expertise but in addition to foster regional camaraderie and improvement by the spirit of competitors.
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