ECOWAS Wrestling Tournament welcomes women for the first time: Video
The 13th edition of the ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament has made history by including female wrestlers for the first time.
The event, held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, is a step toward gender inclusion and sports development in West Africa.
The annual tournament gathers wrestlers from 11 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Member States as part of the organisation’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. However, this year’s edition is notable not only for introducing a women’s division but also for the absence of athletes from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger following their breakaway from ECOWAS.
Female wrestlers from across the region have embraced this opportunity, challenging long-standing gender stereotypes in the sport. Celine Bakayoko, a competitor from Ivory Coast, highlighted the significance of this moment. “Only 40 percent of people believe that women can wrestle, especially in Africa,” she said. “Men say it's not a woman's place, that women belong in the kitchen or should take care of children. But I say there is no sport just for men,” she told the AFP.
Bakayoko expressed joy at the long-overdue inclusion of women in the tournament. “From the first edition to the twelfth, there were no women. We’re delighted because women know how to fight. We just needed the chance,” she added.
Yvonne Ami, another Ivorian wrestler, echoed this sentiment, calling the event a major step forward. “It’s an honour for us women to participate in this tournament. It opens the door for gender equality in wrestling, and that truly makes me happy,” she said.
