President of the Veteran Wrestlers Association of Nigeria, Morris Atula, is optimistic of the success of the South-East Zonal Youth Wrestling Championships scheduled for the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
 
According to Atula, the grassroots development programme will be held in two batches between the months of July and September 2025.
  
The Edo State Wrestling Association chairman, a former Nigerian, Commonwealth and world wrestling champion, said that the veterans are committed to getting the best out of talented male and female Greco-Roman wrestlers in Enugu between July 2 and 4.

He added that South-East, North-Central, and South West wrestlers will be in action in July, while the second batch featuring North East, North West, and South-South will be held in different venues in September 2025.
  
“We have confidence in the ability of the young wrestlers in the three-day South East zone junior wrestling championship to live up to expectations. After that, we will move to other states of the federation. The moment will also be used to celebrate the Enugu State Governor, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for his good governance, particularly his commitment to youth and sports development,” Atula stated.
 
He listed Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Abia as states whose wrestlers would feature in the first batch of the veterans’ zonal wrestling championship, adding that more zonal wrestling championships would be held after the Enugu edition.
  
The wrestler, who recently relocated to Nigeria after over four decades in the United Kingdom, said that the North Central championships will be held in Jos between July 15 and 17, while the South-West edition will be held in Lagos between August 1 and 3 at the Table Tennis Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere.
  
Atula, who confirmed Bauchi as the host city of the North East edition in September, said: “We are grateful to Enugu State Governor, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, his Plateau State counterpart, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, as well as governors  of Bauchi, Sokoto, Lagos and Edo states for throwing their weights behind the Veterans Wrestlers Association of Nigeria’s effort to ensure that top class wrestlers are discovered and nurtured through the zonal championships holding in the six geopolitical zones of the country.”