Rumuokwurusi Wrestling Festival 2022 started last week Saturday, November 26 with a showcase of skills from budding youths of the community.
At the Rumuchiolu Playground where the event was staged, youths between the ages of 10 and 25 years dazzled the spectators who filled the arena with superlative wrestling skills that were almost comparable to those displayed by Amalinze the cat in Chinue Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
One particular young wrestler stood out as he jerked his opponent up from the ground, suspended him on the air and gently brought him down as if to say, “I did not want to hurt you”.
His display attracted rounds of ovation from the appreciative spectators some who equally spread him with money while he was being carried around the arena amid victory chants.
The Chairman Rumuokwurusi Town Council, Comrade Osi Wosu who was sitting conspicuously with other members of his executive at the front row, showered the young wrestlers with appreciations, occasionally spreading some of the winners with money.
Another beautiful feature of the inaugural wrestling festival was the display of tradition by youths and elders who tied wrappers with white etibo to march dancing round the arena amid war-like tones from their gongs and heavy metal bells. They added much colour to the event.
Osi Wosu, Chairman, Rumuokwurusi Town Council who has made a name for himself on account of his empowerment programmes for indigenes of Rumuokwurusi, we heard, carefully planned the inaugural wrestling ceremony, which was why it was a huge success. Some indigenes interviewed at the arena who asked for anonymity said Comrade Wosu planned to stage the most memorable wrestling festival in the history of wrestling festivals in Rumuomkwurusi.
“He wants his administration to be remembered as having organized the best wrestling festival in the community,” one of them said.
And from the success achieved in Saturday’s wrestling festival, the Rumuokwurusi Town Council Chairman appears set to achieve this feet, as he did with his empowerment programmes for Rumuokwurusi indigenes few weeks after he assumed office.
In an interview later, the Rumuokwurusi Town Council chairman Osi Wosu said he initiated the wrestling festival in order to encourage traditional and cultural heritage of the people.
