Mirriah:Zinder The Governor of the Zinder Region, Colonel Massalatchi Mahaman Sani, presided over the closing ceremony of the regional eliminatory phases for the 47th edition of the National Kokowa Sabre 2026, held on November 7 in Mirriah, approximately 20 km southeast of Zinder. This event was also coupled with the presentation of the laureates of the Dan Gourmou Prize.
According to Agence Nigerien de Presse, the ceremony took place in the presence of administrative and customary authorities, technical, departmental, and communal service officials, district members, and a large audience. Over five days of intense and fraternal competition, 20 top wrestlers were selected from 100 participants, coming from 10 departments, to compete in the 47th edition of the National Kokowa Sabre in Zinder 2026.
In his remarks, the Governor expressed gratitude to Allah for the peaceful and disciplined conduct of the eliminatories. He praised the wrestlers for their participation and noted the high level of competition exhibited by young wrestlers from the region's 10 departments, emphasizing the cultural and educational significance of traditional wrestling.
The Governor highlighted that the eliminatory phases helped select the best wrestlers and reinforce unity and social cohesion, important values to the nation's leadership. He extended his sincere thanks to the administrative and customary authorities of Mirriah, the organizing committee, trainers, referees, security forces, and the local population for their legendary hospitality and exceptional mobilization.
The regional youth, sports, and culture director, M. Saley Dangali, provided a technical assessment of the regional eliminatories, commending their successful execution from November 2 to November 6, 2026, in Mirriah. He noted that the aim was to select the best wrestlers for the 47th edition of the national sabre, hoping a Zinder wrestler would win the title.
Dangali reported that the matches adhered strictly to the new national sabre code, and no major incidents occurred. The selected wrestlers will continue training under a team comprising two coaches and a regional technical advisor, supervised by the regional youth, sports, and culture directorate.
The ceremony concluded with awards for 20 top wrestlers preparing for the 47th National Sabre Edition. The undefeated wrestlers faced off in qualification bouts, with Roufai Goga and Abdourahamane Rabe Dan Gwati competing in the first semi-final, and Idi Na Bagawa and Illia Abdou in the second. Roufai Goga and Idi Na Bagawa contested the grand finale.
During the ceremony, laureates of the 13th National Modern Nigerien Music Competition, known as the "Prix Dan Gourmou," were introduced. The Haské Star Zinder orchestra category won second place, receiving 3 million FCFA and an additional 1 million FCFA for participation. The Governor applauded the musical groups for representing Zinder effectively.
Source Agence Nigerien de Presse
