Charles Osei Asibey, President of the African Arm Wrestling Federation, has expressed optimism about the future of the sport, envisioning a time when it will rival football in profitability and popularity across the continent.
Speaking at the close of the 14th African Arm Wrestling Championship, which took place over the weekend in Abuja, Asibey praised the high level of talent and the smooth organisation of the two-day event. He noted that with the progress being made, African arm wrestlers are poised to shine on the global stage.
“These past days have been fascinating. This shows that Africa has come of age in terms of arm wrestling. I am impressed with the talents here.
Maybe in the next world championship, we will see a lot of African athletes win world medals,” he said.
The federation president also highlighted his ambition to elevate the sport’s financial rewards, with the aim of creating tournaments that offer substantial prize money.
“My prayer and hope is that arm wrestlers, soon, can boast of quality prize money so they can live off their earnings.
I am hoping to create a competition where athletes can go home with 100,000 dollars as prize money, but this is work in progress,” he added.
Asibey commended the Nigerian government for its full backing of the championship, and stressed the importance of continued support from other African governments.
“I am happy that the Nigerian government fully supported this championship. We also need to get various governments to host us whenever we come.
This way, arm wrestling will be a household name and the sport of choice,” he noted.
