800 sports personnel to participate in Gov Diri National Wrestling Classics
By Tosin Omojola
Over 750 athletes and coaches from the 36 states of the federation will compete for glory in the 3rd Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Dr. Daniel Igali, made this known at a press conference held in Yenagoa ahead of the championship.
He announced that the event will take place from the 3rd to the 10th of November, 2024, with wrestling matches scheduled from the 5th to the 9th of November. Dr. Igali stated that the Gov Douye Diri Wrestling Classics remains the longest-running wrestling tournament in the country.
He explained that over 20 states have already indicated interest in participating, alongside both military and paramilitary organizations. Additionally, over 15 clubs have confirmed their participation in this year’s championship.
Dr. Igali noted that this year’s edition promises improved organization compared to previous years due to increased enthusiasm and interest from participants, especially in light of Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the last Olympic Games in Paris, France.
He highlighted that the 3rd Gov Douye Diri Wrestling Classics will feature freestyle, Greco-Roman, and female wrestling styles, along with senior categories. Freestyle and Greco-Roman will each have 10 weight classes, with the inclusion of five junior and cadet categories, bringing the total to 45 weight classes.
While expressing gratitude to Governor Douye Diri for his unwavering support for sports development over the past four years, the Olympian emphasized that Bayelsa remains Nigeria’s most successful wrestling state, having produced 82 gold medals at the continental level.
He further explained that Bayelsa has 82-time African champions, with a total of 138 medals won by athletes from the state at the African level, including four Commonwealth gold medalists, an Olympic silver medalist, and a 19-time Olympian. He described Bayelsa as the “home of wrestling.”
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports Development, Mrs. Grace Alagoa, stated that Nigerians should expect the best of wrestling at this year’s championship.
Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Council, Sir Braveman Wodi, remarked that the championship serves as a valuable platform to prepare athletes for the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Table Tennis Association also expressed his satisfaction with collaborating with the Nigeria Wrestling Federation to positively engage youth through sports.
