Traditional wrestlers storm Nigeria

Lagos State, will at the weekend play host to international traditional wrestlers in Africa to compete for honours at the maiden Mikano Kokowa Open Championship billed for the Oba Sanni Komolafe Memorial Youth Centre, Agege.

NationSport gathered that the competition Sponsored by Mikano International Limited, Manufacturers of Industrial generators, in conjunction with the Lagos State Traditional Sports Association, will feature several wrestlers from Senegal, three wrestlers from Niger, two from neighbouring Benin Republic and others from Nigeria.

At a presentation ceremony at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park during the week, the representative of Mikano, Basheer Hamzat said that the sponsorship of the competition was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to the state and the country at large.

“We appreciate what the Lagos state government is doing in sports and we also want to contribute our own quota to the ongoing development in sports.

“We chose traditional sports because we want to do something different from sponsoring football and we hope to continue the sponsorship if this one is organised properly,’’ Hasmza said. Chairman, Lagos Traditional Sports Association, Bashree Augusto, said that he was happy for the sponsorship adding that the sport was thriving in Africa and also hopes that it will thrive in Nigeria.

He also enjoined other corporate organisations to stake their money in the development of the sport at the grassroots for it to be developed.

A total cash prize of N.5Million will be up for grabs at the one day competition which will feature, Niger Republic, Benin Republic and Senegal.

First position will attract with N200,000 while first, second and third runners-up will go home with N120,000, N100,000 and N75,000, while other participants will receive N10,000 each.