The Nation Newspaper

Tag: wrestlers

  • 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Nigerian wrestlers depart for Romania training tour

    2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Nigerian wrestlers depart for Romania training tour

    • To hit Glasgow July 21

    Nigerian Wrestlers yesterday departed the shores of the country for a training tour of Romania ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games holding from July 23 to August 3rd in Glasgow, Scotland.

    The first batch of the team that left yesterday via Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos include 11 wrestlers and six officials led by the Secretary General of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Segun Oguntade. The second batch, which would have three wrestlers and one official, are expected to join the team  later.

    The Technical Director of the federation, Ohaike Demian informed SportingLife that the training tour is part of the efforts of the federation through the sponsorship of the National Sports Commission at ensuring that the athletes get the best of preparations for the Games.

    “Our preparation for the Commonwealth Games is on track and the athletes are in high spirit. We are going to Romania for our training tour and from there leave for Scotland on July 21 for the games.

    “Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson  motivated the athletes and you could see it on their faces, that they were all happy.

    “You can see the attire the athletes are putting on, hardly can one recognise that they are wrestlers. The colour of their suits is peculiar to wrestling and all these are courtesy of the president,  Daniel igali. He knew what he passed through and now he’s trying to make the wrestlers happy.

    “I equally praise the National Sports Commission for approving and sponsoring the training tour.”

    Wrestling won 13 medals at the last edition held in India, but Demian said the aim now is to surpass that record in Glasgow.

    “Our goal is to surpass what we achieved at the last edition. We won three gold, three silver and seven bronze medals in India but this time around we are coming with more gold medals.”

  • Gov. Dickson lifts wrestlers’ spirits

    Gov. Dickson lifts wrestlers’ spirits

    • To cheer team in Glasgow

    Nigerian wrestlers to the 2014 Commonwealth Games holding in Glasgow received a major boost ahead of the championship as Bayelsa State governor, Henry Seriake Dickson doled out unspecified cash gifts to the team.

    Governor Dickson made the donations while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation led by its President, Hon. Daniel Igali who paid him a courtesy call at the Bayelsa House in Abuja on Wednesday.

    While charging the athletes to shun acts that would tarnish the image of Nigeria at the Games scheduled to hold between the 23rd of July and the 3rd of August, Governor Dickson equally challenged Igali, who is also the Sports Committee Chairman, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, to guide the wrestlers in his footsteps by winning medals for the country. He specially identified the wrestling president as someone who has brought a lot of honour to the state.

    Bayelsa State has continued to play a dominant role in wrestling in Nigeria and with about eight athletes presently in the national team, Dickson expressed high hopes of the team’s ability to do the country proud at the Games.

    The governor, who will be leading the Bayelsa State delegation to Glasgow, said he will be at the venue to cheer the Nigerian wrestlers to victory, even as he promised to personally host the team in Yenegoa on their return to the country.

    In his remarks, Igali thanked the governor for taking time out of his busy schedule to receive the delegation and expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment and support the governor has been giving for development of sports in the state and the country at large.

    He explained that the team of wrestlers selected to represent the country have been training hard with a view to bringing glory to Nigeria.

    SportingLife gathered from camp sources that Dickson’s cash boost has raised morale among the wrestlers ahead of the commencement of the Commonwealth Games’ wrestling event which will hold from July 29 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow.

  • 20 wrestlers for World Peace Wrestling Project in Nigeria

    20 wrestlers for World Peace Wrestling Project in Nigeria

    Twenty international professional wrestlers will feature at the inaugural World Peace Wrestling Project scheduled for Nigeria in April.

    The World Peace Project is a collaborative venture between the current World Wrestling Champion, Power Uti of Nigeria and a Canadian firm, Quick Connect to seek global peace.

    Uti, who made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos, said the wrestlers would come from 15 countries.

    The countries are the U.S., Canada, Britain, Germany, Brazil, Peru, France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Mexico. Others from Africa include host Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Uti as saying that the round robbing contest would be held in seven Nigerian cities.

    “For now, only Abuja and Lagos have accepted to host us but we are still discussing with others on the project of using sports to achieve global peace. Our concept of using sports for global peace has been on for a long time. But we are only actualising it because of our understanding of the role sports can play in international harmony,” he said.

    Uti, who is currently a pastor with Living Faith Ministry, popularly called “Winners Chapel’’, said the project included an international peace walk by the wrestlers.

    It will also involve a global peace seminar and an affirmation for the use of sports for global peace.

    In his contributions, the Chief Executive Officer of Quick Connect, Victor Osazua, said the partnership would also be used to create employment for Nigerians.

    “Our target in the collaboration is to employ 20, 000 Nigerians in every state and three million people across Nigeria in six months using sports,” he said.

    Osazua said that as operators of a concept development company, their mission in Nigeria also included the use of different sports as marketing platforms.

    “Sports as an omnibus vehicle in addition to its potential as a peace agent will also contribute toward the reduction of cost of goods and services,” Osazua said.

    Dr Rafiu Ladipo, President-General of Nigerian Football and other Sports Supporters Club, praised the initiative and pledged the support of his association to the project.

    “As a Nigerian peace ambassador, I commend Uti and the Canadian company for this global peace initiative through sports. It is also worthy of Nigerians’ support because of the role of sports in global peace. We as a nation can only grow and develop if we allow peace to reign,” he said.