Adeniyi pumps ₦20m into wrestlers’ welfare at Gov Diri Classics in Yenagoa

 

By Maxwell Kumoye and Trust Ittai 

 

 

 

Athletes competing at the 4th Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa received a major financial boost as Adewale Adeniyi disbursed over ₦20 million in subsidies to participants.

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, who also serves as President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, made the announcement during the opening ceremony of the tournament on Thursday, underlining his administration’s commitment to athletes’ welfare.

Adeniyi revealed that every registered athlete at the championship would receive a ₦25,000 allowance, in addition to comprehensive feeding arrangements already put in place. 

He further disclosed that medallists would earn extra cash rewards, while participating teams would benefit from travel subsidies to ease their logistics to Yenagoa.

“As I have always maintained, the welfare of our athletes is central to our approach as a federation,” Adeniyi said. “Every athlete who participates in this Wrestling Classics is a winner.”

The Customs boss, who also chairs the World Customs Organization, emphasized that the financial incentives are designed to keep athletes motivated, focused, and fully engaged in the sport.

Beyond the ongoing tournament, Adeniyi assured wrestlers of a packed calendar, promising more national competitions before the end of the year as part of broader efforts to develop wrestling across the country.

He added that with discipline and dedication, athletes stand to benefit from what he described as a promising era for Nigerian wrestling, with new initiatives in the pipeline to elevate the sport to greater heights.