….As Lawmaker,PG Ohaneze,NPWF President, others seeks government support, introduce youth mentorship to FG.
Emmanuel lkpeama.
The two day wrestling championship hosted by the Nigeria Professional Wrestling Federation (NPWF) has ended in Lagos as Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu of Lagos state has promised to collaborate with the NPWF so as to encourage more youths at the grassroots.
The Governor,who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports, Mr Adebanji Atewogboye stated this at the opening ceremony of the Annual Wrestling Championship tagged “Battle Ground” held at the Big Apple Royale Hotel lagos.
He went further to state that his administration will continue to provide conducive atmosphere for all youths in the state to excel as he will continue to encourage sports development at the grassroots.
Gov Sanwo Olu acknowledge the Nigeria Professional Wrestling Federation for coming up with such an entertaining and world class championship, noting that his office would collaborate with the NPWF to ensure that we organize more wrestling competitions for the youths in order to reduce violence and other social vices in the state.
” This competition is a wonderful initiative and it is commendable, having this kind of sports at the grassroots level, will help our youths in the state and help in reducing violence and other social vices”
” Wrestling is one sports,we really need to invest into and we are going to engage critical stakeholders, people that loves sports and see how we can collaborate with the Nigeria Professional Wrestling Federation” he stated.
The Member representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency ll,Hon Okey Joe Onuakalusi who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication,Mazi Chuks Sunday-Nwosu thanked the NPWF for organising such events in his constituency instead of the stadium thereby encouraging the youths of his constituency.
The Lawmaker opined that the benefits of sports generally cannot be taken for granted because it helps in mental alertness, reduces risk of illnesses, and improves the total well being of an individual.
He noted that sports is also a veritable means of job creation and as such wants to remind the youths present that they can make a career in professional wrestling as they have so many big names in Nigeria, and across the globe who have excelled as wrestlers.
Continuing,the legal luminary who is also the legal adviser to the Nigeria Professional Wrestling Federation stated that he would use his office to continue to encourage more of these events and work assiduously to ensure that the government will show more interest in the wrestling championship and boast the profession, while advising the organisers to be consistent and to use it to discover more talents that will will international laurels for the country.
Earlier the President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation, High Chief John Uche in his address explained that they decided to hold the championship at Oke- Afa, a suburb of Lagos State in order to enable Nigerians residing far from the city centres the opportunity to see what Nigerian wrestlers can do as well as encourage the youths to be useful to themselves rather than engaging in kidnapping, armed robbery,crime and other social vices.
Chief Uche went further to state that the federation has produced six youths that are doing the nation proud at the international wrestling scene(WWE) and if given the right support from the federal government, the professional wrestling would use its games as a tool to entice the youths to enable them stop restiveness which has culminated the insecurity bedeviling our great nation today.
” Today,due to government negligence on professional wrestling,most of our youths who would have been useful to themselves,the society and the country,now turn themselves to kidnappers and armed robbers due to lack of job opportunities. For this reason we have decided to combat this menace using the game of professional wrestling as a tool to entice our youths,we are going to introduce mentorship program to the Federal Government and Governors of our 36states”.
“Our target is to train at least 15 youths from each of the 774 local government areas, at the end of the two weeks training and mentoring,we would have succeeded in impacting the lives of more than 11,610 youths as we would stage an international wrestling championship in an effort to promote the game after the two weeks training “he stated.
The president also used the opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government to extend statutory allocation to the Federation to enable it take the game to higher pedestal just as he stated that with adequate funding both from government and corporate organisations, the country will rule the rest of the world in professional wrestling.
” I have said it on several fora that we have wrestlers who can rule the world in the mats man game but we’ve not gotten the financial support needed for them to go beyond Africa and conquer the world,there is need for local, state and federal government to take special interest in this sports and invest in it to enable us produce world beaters.”
“Presently Nigerians are in the WWE doing the country proud and a Nigerian is the national champion in Japan,all we want is for the Federal Government to consider giving wrestling statutory allocation from the Federation account which will enable us train youths in the game and make them stay out of drugs, kidnapping, crimes and other social vices for the good of the society”, he submitted.
The chairman of the occasion High Chief lfeanyi Peter Asonye expressed his delight to the organizers of the championship, stating that the championship will discover more talents and help to improve the standard of wrestling in Nigeria.
Chief Asonye who is the Lord Mayor of peace in lbeju lekki went further to state that the youths need to be encouraged financially by the state and federal government so as discover more talents and help to reduce crime and other social vices in the country.
“I want to appeal to all youths out there to make use of their talent, we thought this wrestling was acting but l have seen it that this is real like we have in the WWE. I also want to urge the government to assist this NPWF and the youths because every youths has a talent but lack finance but l urged the wrestlers to continue with this zeal,go out there, give in their best and make the country proud” he said.
The President Ohaneze Ndigbo Social cultural organization, Lord Mayor Solomon Ogbonna Aguene urges the youths to shun social vices and develop on their God given talent as it take them to their highest level in life.
Chief Aguene who is the United Nation Ambassador of Peace noted that Nigerians are confronted with so much adversity, insecurity and problems that has castrated the economy, noting that if the youths who are future leaders engage in sporting activities especially those who have nothing to do,it will reduce the influx of restive youths out of the streets.
He said ” this is a wonderful entertainment,l want to commend the Nigeria Professional Wrestling Federation for organizing such event by taking up the bold step in ensuring that the restive youths are engaged in sporting activities like this”
“This will help in evacuating the restive youths out the streets so as to be useful to themselves,the society and the country at large. Sports can take any youth to another level,to another pinnacle of their life and also help in reducing crime and restiveness in our system. I want to appeal to government to come and assist in developing more talents in wrestling competitions by supporting and ensuring that the NPWF gets the right statutory budget”he stated.
In his remarks, General Manager of the hotel, Victor Ekekwe stated that he was overwhelmed with what he saw at the two day event, noting that his organisation being a sports friendly one will always partner with NPWF to popularize the sports.
” I’m really amazed with what I witnessed throughout the duration of the championship. Prior to this time, I had the believe that wrestling is stage managed but seeing these great men and women right here in front of me fighting themselves, my perception for the game changed.
” All our customers really enjoyed themselves, rooting for more action as the fights lasted and I appeal to government at all levels to take special interest in this game, invest in it and I can assure you, we’ll produce many world champions in no distant time”, he stressed.
Meanwhile in some of the fights decided in the championship, Mighty man defeated Flying Danco to retain his National heavyweight champion title, Mighty Progress recorded a pinfall against De Tiger while old war horse, God’s Gift beat debutant Fredrick Rodrick by pinfall.
In another bout, Sharpman pinfall Zion lron in a knockout,in the women fight, Iron Becky and Stylish J continued their rivalry in the ring but both wrestlers were disqualified following the interference in their fight by Alexandra De Queen who came in to support Iron Becky.
However, the most entertaining fight of the night which kept fans asking for more action as it lasted was between Captain Dunga and Power Vic,the fight was action packed and so brutal that at a stage, they took the fight to outside the ring which prompted the referee to disqualify both fighters.
