By Emma Njoku
President of the Veteran Wrestlers Association of Nigeria, Chief Morris Atula, has expressed optimism that the forthcoming South East Zonal Youth Wrestling Championships scheduled for July 2-4, 2025, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, will produce future world champions.
Atula further disclosed that there would be two batches of the grassroots development programme between July and September this year.
The Edo State Wrestling Association chairman, who was a former Commonwealth and world wrestling champion, said the veterans are committed to getting the best from the talented male and female Greco-Roman wrestlers at the Enugu championships.
Atula said the South East, North Central and South West wrestlers will be in action in July while the second batch, featuring North East, North West, and South South, will take place in different venues in September.
“We have plenty of hope on the young wrestlers billed to feature in the three-day South East zonal junior wrestling championship before we move to other states of the federation. “The event will also be used to celebrate the Enugu State Executive Governor, Barr. (Dr.) Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for his good governance, particularly his commitment to youth and sports development”, Atula said.
He listed Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra and Abia as states whose wrestlers would feature when the first batch of the veterans zonal wrestling championship gets underway next week, in Enugu.
Speaking further, Atula, who recently relocated to Nigeria after over four decades in the United Kingdom, disclosed that more zonal wrestling championship would hold after the Enugu edition. He said the North Central championships would hold in Jos, Plateau State, between July 15 and 17, while the South West zonal championships would hold between August 1 and 3 at the Table-Tennis Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. He also confirmed Bauchi as host city of the North East edition in September.
“We are grateful to the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Barr. (Dr.) Peter Ndubuisi Mbah; Plateau State Executive Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang; and the Executive Governors of Bauchi, Sokoto, Lagos, and Edo states for throwing there weights behind the Vetertan Wrestlers Association of Nigeria’s effort to ensure that top class wrestlers are discovered and nurtured through the zonal championships holding in the six geopolitical zones in the country.
“We are truly committed in our resolve to create the right platform for young and talented Nigerian wrestlers to be discovered and nurtured. The country has abundant talents waiting to be discovered. We strongly believe that it is not enough to hold regional championships, hence we decided to compliment the effort of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation with the championships holding in two batches. There is no looking back on the veterans’ vow to make Nigeria rank among the best wrestling nations in the world”, Atula enthused.