Eleven member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have arrived in Abuja for the 13th edition of the Subregion’s African Wrestling Championship, scheduled to take place from Thursday, March 8, to Saturday, March 10, 2025.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), Francis Chucks Njoaguani, stated that the tournament is part of the activities commemorating ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary.
Njoaguani, who also serves as the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Burkina Faso, noted that among the 12 current ECOWAS member states, only Cape Verde opted not to participate in the tournament.
“We have two categories of competition. Member states will first compete in a round-robin elimination series, leading to the selection of four semi-finalists. On Friday, the competition will continue at the Velodrome with individual weight categories, where wrestlers in the same weight division will compete in a round-robin format until four semi-finalists emerge for each of the five weight classes,” he explained.
The tournament features five weight categories: two dedicated to female wrestlers—65 kg and 75 kg—while the male categories include 85 kg, 100 kg, and 120 kg.
Njoaguani further elaborated that all semi-final matches, third-place contests, and finals determining gold, silver, and bronze medalists will be held on the final day of the championship.
Additionally, he announced the prize allocations for the competition, with the winning team receiving $10,000, while the second and third-place teams will be awarded $6,000 and $3,000, respectively.
“For each individual weight category, the champion will receive $2,500, the runner-up will be awarded $1,500, and the third-place finisher will earn $1,000. Medals will be presented to all winners, and certificates of participation will be distributed to all athletes and delegations,” he added.
The Deputy Director of the National Sports Commission, Ikana Mbora, assured the full support of the Nigerian government in hosting the event, emphasizing the country’s readiness to deliver a remarkable championship.
