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ABUJA, Nigeria- Senegal triumphed over host Nigeria with a score of 4-1 in an exciting team final to clinch the 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament held in Abuja on Saturday evening.
According to report the three-day wrestling event, which took place at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, was part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS.
The tournament was highly competitive, featuring 11 West African countries as traditional wrestlers vied for regional dominance.
Upon concluding the tournament, Senegal secured Gold in the team competition, while Nigeria took home Silver, and Benin defeated Guinea to earn Bronze.
Rocketparrot News report that the defending champions, Niger and Burkina Faso, did not participate in the tournament due to their recent departure from ECOWAS.
In the thrilling final match, Nigeria began strong but found it difficult to compete against the more seasoned wrestlers from Senegal.
The Senegalese claimed victories in the 66kg, 86kg, 100kg, and 120kg weight classes, while Nigeria only secured a win in the 76kg category.
Additionally, Benin showcased their dominance over Guinea in the third-place bout, demonstrating their skill and resolve across all weight divisions.
While Senegal achieved the overall team championship, Nigerian wrestlers distinguished themselves in individual events.
Ebipatei Lienbofa won gold in the 66kg category by defeating Senegal's Safietou Goudiaby, whereas Ebi Bigos exhilarated the local audience with a hard-fought victory over Côte d’Ivoire's Youin Amy in the 76kg final.
The standout moment occurred in the 120kg final, where Senegal's Ngagne Sene defeated Guinea's Gino Nitehala, concluding his team's successful campaign.
The final event was attended by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, along with other high-ranking sports officials from the region.
Rocketparrot News also noted that the ECOWAS Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports formally recognized African wrestling as an ECOWAS sport in September 2000.
The aim is to promote the sport for regional integration and achieve Olympic Games status.
African wrestling, a traditional form of folk wrestling in West Africa, is referred to as Laamb in Senegal, Boreh in The Gambia, and Kokowa in Nigeria and Niger.
