President, United World Wrestling, (UWW), Africa, Fouad Meskoit, says he is impressed with the infrastructures in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that is bidding to host the 2018 Africa Senior Championships.
Meskoit made the assertion during an inspection tour of facilities in Port Harcourt last Wednesday.
“I am very impressed with the infrastructure I have seen on ground and the warm reception accorded me.
“It’s a wonderful city and I’m now really proud to be an African because Nigerians are wonderful and caring people.
According to Meskoit, as an inspector of the international federation, I have to be neutral and can’t take sides.
“But as an inspector that is responsible in Africa, after going through the hotels and this wonder here at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex, I think Nigeria has a very good case and a very good fight, and besides, other nations contesting have hosted this competition before.
“Based on these facts, the executive committee of the international federation is going to decide,’’ he said.
Meskoit said that as a Moroccan and President of UWW Africa, he was very proud with the level of facilities he had seen in Nigeria.
He commended  President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) Daniel Igali, for representing the spirit of Olympics in the country.
“I call on government at all levels to give Igali the necessary support for Nigeria to win more medals in 2020 because he has the strategy.
“Nigeria is the king as far as free style wrestling is concerned in Africa, so the country needs to put in more fund into wrestling for it to go beyond Africa,’’ he said.
Reacting, Igali said he was optimistic that Nigeria would win the hosting right.
“It’s not about the fact that Nigeria has not hosted the competition but we have facilities and the passion for wrestling,’’ he said.