“It’s my set time to give back to the society“-Morris Atula on his 61st birthday as he plans the second installment of his amateur cadet wrestling championship in Nigeria
2nd Edition of Morris Atula Cadet Wrestling Championship scheduled for May 2022 in Edo State
Morris Atula, the former World Light Heavy Weight Pro Wrestling Champion known as ‘’The Golden Warrior’’ during his active days who started wrestling at age fourteen when it was newly introduced into the Nigerian nation by Coach Mike Bamidele, has made a statement in commemoration of his 61st birthday anniversary of March 7th that: ‘’there is nothing as good as giving back to the society that has made you.’’ Morris was among the first group of wrestlers that started the sport in Nigeria in 1975 and he has indeed contributed a sincere quota to wrestling development in Nigeria locally and at the international level considering his unfailing support for the development of amateur and professional wrestling.
‘’The fulfilling feeling of giving back and contributing positively to the development of the society is unparalleled. Giving back is also a great way to get to know your community and its citizens better, thereby bringing out lots of inward abilities of the upcoming generations. When you sponsor or promote a catch them young program, you will have the opportunity to produce lots of future champions’’ Morris explained.
Champion Morris Atula after successfully defending his world light heavyweight pro wrestling title in Lagos in 2004
‘’The art of giving back and gifting is known as philanthropy. Generosity has been around since the dawn of humanity and has become a part of our everyday life and society. Philanthropy actively supports efforts such as scientific research, sports promotion, community development and so on down to volunteering your time to help out those in need in your community. You will recall that in July last year, Morris Atula Cadet Championship took place in Benin City, Edo State in Nigeria which was the the first of its kind with young talented wrestlers across the 18 local governments of Edo state involved and young kids displayed their skills in the game. Over 50 cadet wrestlers participated in the championship with some of them carting home gold, silver and bronze in a frenzy gathering at the Ogbemudia Stadium, Edo State. All these were to give back to the society’’ Atula emphasized.
First Edition of the Morris Atula Cadet Wrestling Championship 2021
On why it is important to give back to the society, Morris explained that he sponsored the first Morris Atula Cadet Amateur Wrestling Championship held at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Edo State from Monday 19th to Wednesday 21st July, 2021 as a motive of identifying with the young talents at the school level and grooming them to excel in sports. He is planning for the second edition of the Morris Atula Cadet Amateur Wrestling Championship, which has been tagged ‘’Seven States Under 15 Cadet Invitational Wrestling Tournaments’’ and will hold in May 2022 as the involved states in Nigeria have been gearing up to this timely catch them young event.
‘’I also want to see to the enduring legacy of the “catch them young” philosophy and project as it is also a life-fulfilling career seeing the involvement of school kids and youths in sport and beyond the tournament period, they would definitely become elite young athletes by taking part in competitions and regular training from their tender ages’’ explained Morris who was a great amateur wrestler in his day, as he won several laurels and awards during his active amateur wrestling career as a trainer in Niger State where he pioneered the wrestling sport.
Atula, who was a professional wrestler, sports manager and administrator of appreciable repute, won the World Light Heavyweight wrestling Championship title from Brady Boone of the USA in Portland, Oregon in 1986 and he successfully defended it worldwide. He has immensely contributed to the development, upbringing, growth and building of the mat game worldwide. He knocked out British Pit-Bull Johnson in his final title defense which took place at the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos, Nigeria in 2004 and then retired undefeated after wining many laurels back home and abroad.
As a seasoned sports administrator, apart from sponsoring the Morris Atula Cadet Amateur Wrestling Championships in Edo state, he is also promoting and managing Pro Wrestling World Federation (PWWF), an international wrestling body operating from London, UK which has been set up to rebrand African Wrestling and rating Nigerian and African pro wrestlers to contest with their counterparts worldwide. The body is also aimed at restoring the Nigerian nation’s lost glory on the global sports scene of which Nigerian pro wrestling is a great part. Atula, who established the Multi Sports Academy in London, said that Nigeria as a nation requires a long term preparatory program to succeed during international sporting championships and this is not limited to professional sports alone. Nigeria must return back to basics in order to regain lost glory, he said.
