Jubilation, As Community Celebrates Wrestling Culture

The age-long traditional wrestling culture of Emohua community in Rivers State, was at its best last Saturday, as the custodians of the ancient wrestling drums of the community handed over authority to their successors after four years of meritorious service to the people.
The well attended event which took place at Rumuche, the traditional headquarters of Emohua community, was marked with demonstration of strength, discipline and vitality by the people champions and youths, cultural displays, music and dance amongst other side attractions, as well as full blown entertainment of guests  to demonstrate their peaceful co-existence and legendary hospitality.
Speaking with newsmen at the ceremony, the chairman of ‘Ogrinya’ age grade of Rumuolo” – Emohua, Mr Abraham Chukwu stated that the ceremony was unique and symbolic as it marked the exchange of the baton of authority from the senior age grade, (Ugwu Rigwu) to their successor the Ogrinya age grade to organize all wrestling activities of the community in the next four years.
He disclosed that, the significance of the ceremony was that, the age grade has attained maturity as senior members of the community with the responsibility to maintain the rich wrestling culture of the Ikwerre people which had been in existence for ages and to ensure its continuity.
One of the elders of the age grade Mr. Emmanuel Abu Georgewill noted that, wrestling is a unifying culture in Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality World wide which has brought about cooperation and peaceful co-existence in Ikwerre land. He therefore called on the state government to promote regular wrestling contests among the youths, to checkmate the spate of cultism and other criminal activities in the state.
Also speaking, the secretary of Ogrinya age grade, Mr Anachor Ogbudu, noted that the event was not only successful, but impressive due to the large turnout of both the people of the community and guests which added colour and prominence to the event.