All is now set for the 13th West Africa Deaf Football Tournament (WADFT) and the Third West Africa Deaf Athletics Championship, kicking off today in Abuja.

The events, which will end on August 30, are being held at Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

President of the West Africa Deaf Sports Union (WADSU), Mr. Amuda Yusu Ibrahim, yesterday, revealed that the 2025 edition of the championship is part of the 5Oth anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS) and the continuous empowerment of deaf athletes in the sub-region.

Noting that deaf athletes have equal rights with their hearing counterparts, everything possible should always be done to encourage them.

He disclosed that eight countries will feature in the two-week exercise. These include Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Niger Republic and the host nation, Nigeria.
 
Apart from the medals on offer, the competitions will also serve as qualifiers to major international championships, including the African Deaf Football Tournament, the African Deaf Athletics Championship and the Deaflympics Games, among others.  

Nigeria is the defending champion of both events.

Meanwhile, the Vice  President of the Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation (NDSF), Comrade Ige-Jenyo Olawale, who is also the technical committee chairman, has promised a hitch-free championship, saying that all logistics issues have been addressed.
 
He hinted that Team Nigeria’s athletes had a closed camping ahead of the competition, hence are expected to come out tops at the end of the events.