Ex National Team Captain Backs Atula For NWF President
Coach Garba Lame, a former Nigerian wrestler has thrush his weight behind Maurice Atula for the position of president of Nigeria Wrestling Federation.
Lame, a member of Seoul ‘88 Olympic wrestling team said this while speaking to journalists on Friday.
He said Atula was the most suited to take over the leadership of the Federation given his passion and knowledge of wrestling in which he had been actively involved as fighter and coach for decades.
Lame said though other aspirants may be good, Atula was the best among them given his antecedents as a fighter, a coach, an administrator and a unifyer.
According to him, Atula is from Edo State but he served in many places including Niger State, he sees everybody as one, he unites the wrestling family
“Ecen though Maurice Atula lives in England, he reaches out to us every time to find out how wrestling fighters and coaches are faring.
“Maurice Atula is somebody who will spread wrestling around so that youths will not become useless in their area, we need somebody like him who will encourage coaches everywhere by providing them with technical support and opportunities.
“That is why he is the best man for the position of NWF president,” he said
Lame said Veteran wrestling wrestlers had the soul of wrestling alive by serving in different capacities including coaches and administrators.
He called on Nigerians and lovers of wrestling specifically to adopt Atula as his candidacy was not just the choice of veteran wrestlers but the entire wrestling family.
He said for more than eight years nobody from Bauchi or from the North had gone to Commonwealth Games or Olympics because the game was not popular, due to lack of spread.
“Veterans have been doing well to keep wrestling, veterans are people who fought, retired and are now working as coaches and administrators, so we are
“Not that we can not do well here in the North but we do not have encouragement, this is what we want Atula to come and change.