Nigeria may lose 2022 ECOWAS traditional wrestling hosting right

The 2022 ECOWAS Traditional Wrestling (Kokowa) Tournament hosting right awarded to Nigeria in 2021 may be withdrawn for lack of commitment to host the event. Daily Trust has gathered from a reliable source that ECOWAS, which usually foots almost 80% of the total cost of hosting the event, is planning to hand over the 10th […]

The 2022 ECOWAS Traditional Wrestling (Kokowa) Tournament hosting right awarded to Nigeria in 2021 may be withdrawn for lack of commitment to host the event.

Daily Trust has gathered from a reliable source that ECOWAS, which usually foots almost 80% of the total cost of hosting the event, is planning to hand over the 10th edition of the championship to Niger Republic.

Our source said already Niger Republic and Senegal are on standby in case Nigeria fails to convince ECOWAS that it is ready to host the tournament either in December or early next year.

According to him, ECOWAS is disappointed that even as Nigeria is a force to be reckoned with in traditional wrestling, she is struggling to host the competition which even smaller countries had hosted without much problems.

When contacted, the president of the Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria, Hon. Agbadabina Olomo Perekiye, said the sport federation had written letters to the relevant sports authorities and other Nigerians without positive response.

He, however, promised to intensify efforts to host the championship as he said it will be embarrassing, if the hosting right is taken away from Nigeria.

“This is my first year in office but as a federation, we are trying to get sponsorship for the championship. All along, it has been Senegal, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic that have been hosting. But last year, ECOWAS handed us the hosting right.

“Unfortunately, we are finding it difficult to get sponsors. We tried our best to get sponsorship from state governments but this is a season for elections so all the governors are busy with preparations for the 2023 elections.

“However, we have not given up because even if it is too late to host this year, I am confident that Nigeria will host the tournament early next year.

“It is better to host late than to lose the hosting right. We have written to the sports ministry to come to our aid so I am still optimistic,” said Agbadabina.

It will be recalled that at the last edition of the tournament in Dakar, Senegal, Nigeria with five traditional wrestlers finished third out of the 14 ECOWAS nations that participated in the tournament.