With the African Armwrestling Championship set to take place in Abuja this July, the President of the AFN, Samuel Jackson, has assured of Nigeria’s readiness to host the event and expressed confidence in the country’s athletes.
Jackson explained that the team is highly motivated to compete against the best on the continent, particularly long-time rivals Egypt, as they continue to improve ahead of the 2027 African Games in Egypt.
“Come July, the team and the boys are really working.”
“They know what they need to do, and they have what it takes to really give the Egyptians a run for their money.”
Closing the Gap on Egypt
Egypt has been a dominant force in African armwrestling for years, but Jackson insists Nigeria is making rapid progress and is determined to challenge their supremacy.
“The gentlemen of our own team, they know their opponent for more than six years now, five years now, and we are really closing the gap against Egypt.”
“The techniques are there, we have the raw energy and talent, but we just need to go across that line to show Egypt that, you know what, we are part of the team.”
While acknowledging Egypt’s significant investment in the sport, Jackson remains optimistic about Nigeria’s ability to compete at the highest level.
“But moving to the Egyptians, they’re really invested in armwrestling, and we know what we’re going to face when we come to the Olympic Games in Egypt in 2027.”
“But we’re really doing a lot of work with the men’s team to close those gaps.”
Building Towards the Future
Beyond the 2024 African Armwrestling Championship, Jackson reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to developing the sport in Nigeria, with the goal of making it a major force ahead of the 2027 African Games in Egypt.
With preparations in full swing, the Nigerian armwrestling team is determined to make a statement on home soil and prove they are ready to compete with Africa’s best.
