The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports Development, Daniel Igali, has promised that the state will deliver one of the best ever organised wrestling championships in the country in recent time, expressing confidence in the technical ability of referees and other officials playing different roles in the competition that starts today, March 25, 2026 and ends on April 1, 2026.
Honourable Igali, who gave the promise during a technical meeting ahead of the kick-off of the 4th Governor Douye Diri National Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa, noted that the technical session was put together to explain the latest rules of the sport to representatives of various states, military and paramilitary institutions and wrestling clubs who gathered for the purpose in the state capital.
While hailing Governor Diri for his support for the competition, Igali said that in a national tournament of this nature, the technical session takes place a day before the start of the event to acquaint coaches, referees, and even athletes with the latest developments, especially the latest rules, and how coaches and athletes are expected to behave, to prepare them for the contest.
Igali, a celebrated Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, stressed further that the technical session is a critical component of any competition of this magnitude that Bayelsa State is putting together, and pointed out that he is quite impressed with the quality of referees that would officiate.
He revealed that about 30 referees have signed up for the competition, assuring that they would deliver a superb tournament that would leave a lasting legacy in the history of wrestling in the country.
“We are very ready. I think this is about the most ready we can be and I’m looking forward to a very exciting wrestling extravaganza in this one week,” Igali said.
