Armwrestling buffs in Nigeria and across the world have embarked on an audacious bid to ensure the sport of muscle flexing not only picks a spot in the Olympic Games but also goes out to outshine football as the world’s number one sporting event.
This much was revealed in a live interview with Sports247 by the president of Armwrestling Federation of Ghana, Barrister Charles Osei Asibey, who also disclosed that he was recently appointed by the global body’s president, Assen Hadjitodorov to lead the effort and process that would ensure their sport becomes an official part of the next Olympics.
Asibey pointed out that the charge was given him because of his dual role as the president of African Armwrestling Federation and how he successfully led the charge that made the sport become a scoring event at the last Africa Games, which was hosted by his country, Ghana.
Asibey stated, “Bringing armwrestling to the Africa Games is the biggest thing to happen to our sport globally. The world president appreciates the achievement. As a matter of this, I’ve been asked to lead a team to push armwrestling into the Olympics.”
While enthusing that this year’s Independence Day Armwrestling Challenge in Accra, Ghana that took place on Saturday has gone a very long way in building the sport’s fast expanding interest base, Asibey also revealed the steps that have been taken to create a vibrant impact for its endeavour all across Africa, even as they also aim for the Games of other continents.
He disclosed, “Gradually, we are working on how to get into the various continental games, and then getting into the Olympics would become so, so easy. In that way, whoever monitors this year’s Independence Armwrestling Challenge in Ghana will have a good time.
“They can experience live what the Nigerian Bullets are doing; as well as what the Ghanaians, Togolese and Beninoise players are doing. It’s a very wonderful experience and this will not be the last.”
He concluded by reeling out many attractions and benefits that competitors and countries gained at this year’s Independence Armwrestling Challenge in Accra, which he noted was much bigger than ever, but submitted by acknowledging that a lot still has to be done to make the sport become globally renowned.
“For me, it’s unprecedented globally to have TV stations giving live coverage to armwrestling. That only happens for football; but we have four television stations covering this competition. Gradually, we may become bigger than football. That is our plan.
“As we all know, armwrestling was born before football, and it’s a traditional sport. The only issue is that branding the sport, promoting it and investing in it are still challenges we are facing. All the same, it’s just a matter of time, and we’ll take it to the next level,” Asibey averred.
