BY SEGUN OLANREWAJU
For many years now, professional wrestling that was once rated as the most popular sport in Africa after football has been struggling for attention.
The sport has not only lost its place among popular sports but its practioners, wrestlers are living in penury.
Lack of sponsorship has made many good fighters to look for other means of livelihood.
Not only did the game suffer from the bad economic situation facing many African countries, Nigeria inclusive but has made the sports go into near neglect with scanty crowd watching wrestling competitions.
Continentally, the situation seems not to have any remedy in sight until the establishment of Pro -Wrestling Africa (PWA) which is gradually changing the tide and making people believe once more in the matsman game.
According to its Secretary General, Olusesan Olukoya, the PWA was established with the vision of creating a Mecca of exciting world class modern day professional wrestling within the African continent.
Mr. Olukoya said Pro -Wrestling Africa was an idea he conceived in 1999 while lodging at the Hotel Africa, Monrovia, Liberia while on a professional wrestling promotion.
The promoting outfit was launched on the February, 4th 2015 in Yaoundé, Cameroon after a meeting of some stakeholders from Nigeria, Mali, Benin Republic, Congo DR, Egypt, Ghana Central African Republic and Cameroon the host nation with the sole aim of advancing, promoting and rebuilding the matsman sport on the African continent to what is obtainable in other parts of the world.
Since inception, the PWA has organized many pro -wrestling tournaments in Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana.
It is now a focused on Liberia, Kenya, Congo DR, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
It would be recalled that the PWA promoted the first ever notable African wrestling heavyweight championship in Yaoundé, Cameroon in Central Africa tagged the ‘Battle of Yaoundé’ in September 2015.
In an interview, Mr. Olukoya said efforts were in place to collaborate with national wrestling federations all in an effort to promote and support the sport.
He said “We would also be discussing with the Ghanaian sports authority on the need to have Ghana Pro -Wrestling Federation. Other countries like Liberia, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia are on the list to be visited in the next one year”.
Executive members of the Pro Wrestling Africa (PWA) are: Dr. Moagi Sharp from Botswana as the President, Air Commodore Emmanuel Ndo of Cameroon 1st Vice President, Walid Mohammed of Egypt 2nd Vice President, Olusesan Olukoya from Nigeria is the Secretary General, Tapiwa Ray Masinire of Zimbabwe is the PRO, Technical Directors are Augustine Okafor of Nigeria and Michel Noudem of Cameroon.,
The international adviser is Robert O’Sullivan from USA while Kenneth Okonjo is the body’s USA Representative.
