Senegal dominated the 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament, defeating hosts Nigeria 4-1 in a thrilling team final at the Moshood Abiola Stadium’s Velodrome on Saturday evening.
The three-day wrestling competition, organised as part of celebrations marking ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary, featured 11 West African nations competing for regional supremacy in traditional wrestling.
Senegal’s wrestlers displayed technical prowess and experience, securing decisive victories in the 66kg, 86kg, 100kg, and 120kg weight categories. Nigeria, despite starting strong with vocal home support, managed just one win in the 76kg division.
In the bronze medal match, Benin Republic outclassed Guinea across all weight categories to claim third place.
National Sports Commission Chairman Shehu Dikko attended the final alongside other high-ranking sports officials from across the sub-region.
While Senegal claimed the overall team title, Nigerian wrestlers showed their individual talents throughout the tournament. Ebipatei Lienbofa secured gold in the 66kg individual category by defeating Senegal’s Safietou Goudiaby, while Ebi Bigos thrilled local fans with a hard-fought victory over Côte d’Ivoire’s Youin Amy in the 76kg final.
The tournament reached its climax in the 120kg final, where Senegal’s Ngagne Sene overpowered Guinea’s Gino Nitehala to solidify his country’s dominance.
Notably absent from this year’s competition were defending champions Niger and Burkina Faso, following their recent withdrawal from the ECOWAS regional bloc.
The ECOWAS Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports officially adopted African wrestling as a regional sport in September 2000, aiming to promote it for regional integration and potential Olympic Games inclusion. The traditional sport, known by different names across West Africa—Laamb in Senegal, Boreh in The Gambia, and Kokowa in Nigeria and Niger—continues to grow in popularity and competitive structure.
The tournament’s success highlights the cultural significance of traditional wrestling in West Africa and its evolving role in modern sporting competitions.
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