Lagos Agog, As 11th African Armwrestling Championship Begins Tuesday

The eleventh edition of the African Armwrestling Federation Championship will begin in Lagos, Nigeria on Tuesday 19 July, 2022 with 12 African countries participating.

The countries include host and former African Champions, Nigeria. Others are Cameroon, Ghana, Madagascar, Togo, Niger, Egypt, Guinea Conakry, and Senegal. Others are Somalia and Benin Republic.

Madagascar arrive Sunday morning to become the first foreign team to arrive in Nigeria for the Championship.

Madagascar arrived Sunday morning at exactly 11am with a five-man team member at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The Secretary General of the World Armwrestling Federation, Mr. Simionescu-Simicel Mircea, has been scheduled to arrive in Lagos, Nigeria Monday early enough to witness the elaborate opening ceremony of the African Championship scheduled for the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos from 12pm.

The world federation Secretary-General will be accompanied to Nigeria by the World Armwrestling Federation Officer, Lady Liuza-Maria Militaru. While the World Armwrestling Referee from the United Kingdom will be on the ground for the Referee’s training and seminar to certify new referees that would be on duty to officiate at the Championship.

The Team Nigeria will present a 42- man team members made up of athletes in the Junior, Youths, Senior and Masters categories for both the able and special athletes. The Nigerian athletes just like their foreign counterparts will compete in both the right and the left arms.

The president of the Nigeria Armwrestling Federation, who also doubles as the President of the African Armwrestling Federation, Engineer Samuel Jackson, said at the weekend that Team Nigeria is ready to dethrone the defending champions, Mali, with excellent performances as Nigerian Armwrestlers are battle ready to repel all other competitors towards their bid to emerge the new overall champions. Hot on the heels of Team Nigeria are Team Mali and Team Ghana who have been close rivals in the last three editions of the African Armwrestling Championship.

The Team Nigeria Technical Director, Mr. Femi Akinsanya, noted that his athletes are in high spirit to shock the rest of Africa at the 11th African Championship which ends on July 24.

One of the major highlights of the 11th African Armwrestling Championship is the Elective Congress to elect a new African president. The current African president and president of the Nigeria Armwrestling Federation, Engineer Samuel Jackson, will be seeking re-election at the Congress slated for July 20th at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.