….Eight Local councils qualify for Next round
By Editor
In a spectacular display of sportsmanship and quick reminder to the age long practice of traditional wrestling contest, youths from selected Local Governments in Ekiti State thrilled a mammoth of excited spectators to a lively game.
The wrestling contest which was held inside the main bowl of the Civic Centre on Wednesday, marked the second Day of the EKIFEST 2024.
Prof Rasaki Ojo-Bakare, Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts Culture and Creative Economy who moderated the program, introduced the contestants according to the Local Governments they represented while reeling out the rules of the game including penalties for any breach.
Also, the contestants who were a mix max of ‘Davids and Goliaths’ conducted themselves in an orderly manner as they were introduced by the Commissioner.
There was a mild drama shortly before the game started when an onlooker querried the pairing of the wrestlers but the Commissioner quickly intervened saying all the contestants were wrestlers fielded by their respective Local Governments for the festival.
However, all the contestants stunned the spectators with their spectacular performance as they all gave a good account of their respective council areas.
At the end of the interesting game, 8 winners from their Local governments sailed through to the next round on of the competition on Thursday.
They are: Ido-Osi, Ikole, Araromi LCDA, Ado Central LCDA, Moba, Irepodun/Ifelodun and Ifeloju LCDA.
Winners of the Thursday’s encounter will qualified for the final tournament on Friday in hat promises to be another explosive encounter.
Sports enthusiasts opined that the local wrestling contest is a veritable avenue for talent hunt for Ekiti youths in that genre of sport.
