No fewer than 15 states are participating in the traditional boxing competition, popularly knows as “Dambe”, in Yola, the capital of Adamawa, an official has said.
At the second joint council meeting of national sports festival held in December last year in Benin, Dambe was included in the national sports calendar.
Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, the Chairman, Adamawa Dambe Traditional Boxing Association, on Saturday in Yola, said that about 40 traditional boxers from 15 states of the northern region are participating in the competition.
“The competition was organised to bring Dambe local boxers together and to build cordial relationships between teeming youths from the north.
“Also, the competition is in preparation for the National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020,” Mu’azu said.
Mrs Esther Dominic, the Acting Director, Adamawa Sports Council, said they were happy that Dambe traditional boxing was officially recognised by the national sports council.
Dominic said the state government would include Dambe local boxers into its contingents and participate in Edo 2020 slated in March.
“We are going to use this opportunity to select most talented Dambe boxers to represent the state in Edo 2020, which will hold in March,” Dominic said.
She said the state government had equally recognised Dambe traditional boxing among its sports associations.
“After Edo 2020, we are going down to grassroots to pick many talents to enable us form a strong Dambe team that can represent the state anywhere in the world sports competition, ” Dominic said.
The host Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe and Bauchi States are among the states participating in the Yola competition.
Others are Yobe, Borno, Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa as well as Niger, Plateau and Kebbi States.
Equally, Sokoto, Katsina, Kogi and Zamfara States have their representatives in the competition.
So far Shagon Kudu from Kaduna State had defeated Shagon Arewa in the first round.
Four referees and five judges are manning the competition.
NAN