By Abiola Mujeed
The first edition of the Nigeria Arm Wrestling Open Championship has been fixed for the National Stadium, Lagos from August 19 to 21.
The president of the Nigeria Arm Wrestling Federation, Engineer Samuel Jackson, disclosed that the event, which has been sanctioned by the Africa Arm Wrestling Federation, would be used to select Nigeria’s representatives to the 37th edition of the World Arm Wrestling Championship slated for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel, from September 26 to October 4.
Jackson, who will attend the WAF Congress following the approval of the Nigerian federation by the world federation, noted that, at the end of the trials, a total of 30 athletes would be selected in the Seniors and Masters categories who would be put in a training camp where the final 10 athletes for the World Championship proper would emerge.
The final 10 athletes would be made up of five male and five female arm wrestlers who will compete in specific events in the Left and Right Hand competitions in the 55kg, 60kg, 70kg, 80kg, 90kg and the 110kg.
The selected athletes would be prepared for the World Championship by the federation’s chief coach, Femi Akinsanya, a former Nigerian armwrestler who competed several times at the World Championship.
The federation president stated that, athletes’ registration for the Open Championship would be coordinated by the federation Secretary General, Mr. Idris Ibikunle, at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba.
