Charles Osei Asibey, the President of the Armwrestling Federation of Africa (AFA), recently marked his first anniversary as the continental head, reflecting on accomplishments and laying out future aspirations.
In a statement personally released and signed, President Asibey expressed gratitude to member federations for their trust in his leadership and acknowledged the invaluable support of his backroom staff, which contributed to the various successes achieved during his tenure.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to God, my family, the Good Friends, the leadership of Ghana and Africa Armwrestling, the Wonderful Pullers in Africa, Our Coaches, Referees, Member Federations, my partners, Ghana’s Minister and Ministry of Youth & Sports, the Foreign Affairs of Ghana, World Armwrestling Federation, my Lieutenants, especially Vice President Kofi Addo-Agyekum and General Secretary Julien Boumsong, all my Federation Heads, and the many special individuals who have supported this journey,” the statement read.
Asibey reassured members and partners of his continued commitment to collaborate with friends and partners to elevate Armwrestling as a favored sport of choice across Africa.
Among the notable achievements during his term, the President highlighted an impressive increase in membership for the continental body as of July 2023. Under his leadership, efforts were made to ensure that almost all countries on the continent became members of the federation by the end of his tenure.
The rise in membership was reflected in the increased participation in competitions, such as the recent Africa Armwrestling Championship in Ghana, which saw a record number of over 164 athletes competing for continental glory.
The administration also introduced various competitions on the continent, providing pullers with more opportunities to showcase their skills on the table. Notably, the West Africa Zone Championship was established, and Armwrestling was included in the Arnold Classic Africa event.
A significant milestone achieved under Asibey’s leadership was the federation’s affiliation with the Association of Africa Sports Confederation (AASC/UCSA) – a goal that had eluded them for years but was successfully accomplished within a year of his presidency.
Furthermore, Armwrestling gained remarkable TV coverage during the Africa Championship, with the event broadcasted live on five traditional televisions, social media platforms, and covered by prominent Africa sports TV giant Supersports and the BBC.
Through strategic partnerships, Africa developed a unique human resource management software and competition software, making it the only continent with such advanced tools for organizing local and international events.
In a historic achievement, Africa was awarded the hosting rights for the 2024 World Armwrestling Championship, and for the first time, armwrestling was included as a sports discipline in the Africa Games.
Charles Osei Asibey, who also serves as the President and Founder of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), was elected as the President of the Armwrestling Federation of Africa (AFA) at an elective congress in Lagos, Nigeria on July 22, 2022.
Currently, he is actively pursuing quality sponsorships to further promote and support Africa Armwrestling’s growth.
Source: GraphicOnline
