Bayelsa wary of Delta, Edo wrestlers

By Solomon NWOKE, Warri

BAYELSA state wrestling coach, Ebikebina Sunday has tipped his wrestlers to outshine their foes at the Chief E K Clark National Open Championship holding in Warri. He boasted that they were  the undisputed champions in Greco Roman style of wrestling in Nigeria.

“We have wrestlers in all the ten weight categories. We a sure of picking more gold and few silver medals. We are defending champions in the national open championship even though, Chief E K Clark is making its debut in the wrestling federation calendar. We are hope to take the overall trophy back to Bayelsa state.

“Delta are defending champions in the National Sports Festival, where the championship is restricted to only fresh athletes. But here is a no-holds- bar championship where both the new and the old champions meet.”

He however listed the states that would pose a threat to his state as Delta, Plateau, Edo and perhaps Lagos and Ogun, but reaffirmed that they would weather the storms when the chips are down.

The Olympian commended the organizers of the E K Clark championship especially, the new President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Dr Daniel Igali and Delta State for their initiative.

He said if other states can emulate this trend, wrestling in the country would be better.

Wrestlers fall to new rules as Delta leads

By Solomon Nwoke, Warri
Bayelsa State Greco Roman Coach, Ebikebina Sunday Thursday said that many wrestlers and officials were yet to master the new rules in the event, adding that wrestlers especially those from his state were losing bouts  here in Warri to their ignorance.

And with three gold medals, a silver and three bronze medals, Delta state, host of the Chief E K Clerk Wrestling championship maintains the lead  in the Greco Roman style of wrestling event that was concluded last night at the Brown Hill Events Centre.

Edo state was second with two gold medals and a silver while Bayelsa state, who boasted of cleaning out all the available gold medals at stake,  struggled to place third with a gold medal, Four silver and two bronze medals.  Lagos was fourth  with a gold and two silver medals.

The most exciting aspects in the Greco Roman wrestling were in three weight categories; 55kg, 74kg and 120kg where the reigning champions were beaten.

In the 55kg weight class, the reigning champion, Nnalue Dominic of Delta was pushed to the third place by Lagos state’Segun Adebamwo who won it and Ibomo Seimiengha of Bayelsa who was second. Emmanuel Nwori of Benue state was so outstanding in his weight class 74kg. He solely sponsored himself to the competition to represent his state and beat all his contem-poraries to the first position. Olalekan Salami of Oyo state was second while Erekpo Adio of Good Luck Ebele Jonathan Club came third.

Delta state’ Soso Kamarau was spectacular in the 96kg weight class as he left no stone unturned right from the beginning to finish.  He dethroned the Commonwealth Games reigning Champion, Joe Agbanevbari of Edo state in the first bout. The second place went to Bayelsa state’Ebis Akeme while InnocentAgba of FTC placed third.

Paul Ikpon of Plateau state retained his title in the 120 Weight Category with Bayelsa state’ Samuel Ebika placing second and Tosin Odumosa of Delta state placed third.

Ebikebina Sunday blamed the team’s lack luster performance to the new rules which he said were still strange to them.

He said, “ it is not easy with the new rules. The rules of wrestling have change and it affected everybody both wrestlers and referees alike. They were not conversant with the new rules, so there were lots of confusion in scoring points to the appropriate wrestler”.