With the aim of structuring and strengthening the professional development of journalists specialised in traditional (African) wrestling, the ECOWAS Association of Journalists Specialised in Wrestling (AJSL) was officially launched last Tuesday. Bringing together media professionals from several countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the new organisation seeks to become the voice and reference network for journalists covering wrestling and major regional sporting events.

The AJSL is the result of months of consultations among sports media practitioners and observers of traditional wrestling. It was established to promote quality, ethical and specialised journalism, while creating synergy among professionals from different countries in the sub-region.

Now fully in the arena, the AJSL, with its vast network, will work alongside ECOWAS and other sub-regional bodies to enhance visibility around TOLAC and other sporting—and even cultural—events. Speaking on the birth of the association, Beninese journalist Gilles Biguézoton noted that the time had come for wrestling journalists within the ECOWAS space to unite their strengths and voices to make greater impact.

The founding members adopted a leadership structure made up of representatives from various ECOWAS member states. Senegalese media executive Abou Ndour, Director General of Albouralh.tv, was elected President, while Gilles Biguézoton of Africasport.org was unanimously chosen as Secretary General.

Alongside Mr Ndour, the elected executive committee is as follows:

• President: Abou N’dour (Senegal)

• 1st Vice President: Abdoul Aziz Sow (Guinea Conakry)

• 2nd Vice President: Tolu Oguntimehin (Nigeria)

• Secretary General / Spokesperson: Gilles Biguézoton (Benin)

• Deputy Secretary General: Abdoul Rahamane O. Maman (Niger)

• Treasurer General: Kangni Follykoe (Togo)

• Deputy Treasurer General: Carlos Balde (Guinea Bissau)

• Head of Organisation I: Claude Amah (Togo)

• Head of Organisation II: Paul S. Prierra (Gambia)

This multinational team reflects the association’s ambition to transcend national boundaries in promoting wrestling journalism across West Africa—and possibly across the entire African continent in the future.

The AJSL has outlined several key priority missions:

• To enhance and professionalise media coverage of wrestling, a discipline deeply rooted in West African cultures.

• To encourage ethical journalistic practices, particularly in the coverage of sporting and cultural competitions.

• To create a framework for solidarity and exchange among specialised journalists, promoting continuous training and cross-border cooperation.

• To foster dialogue between the media, sports organisations and ECOWAS institutions in order to secure greater visibility and institutional support for wrestling events in the sub-region.

Several members present emphasised the importance of this initiative in strengthening the technical and analytical capacity of journalists in response to the rapid evolution of media and the growing expectations of sports audiences.