The Nigeria Wrestling Federation has announced its ambitious goal to secure multiple medals at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, France. Federation President Daniel Igali revealed that a significant number of both male and female wrestlers have qualified for the Olympics, raising hopes for a strong performance.
“We have six athletes, five females and one male, set to represent us at the Olympic Games,” Igali stated. “Our preparatory camp has been operational in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, since May 29, ensuring that our wrestlers are well-prepared.”
Highlighting the importance of both men’s and women’s participation in wrestling, Igali expressed optimism about the opportunities awaiting the qualified athletes in Paris. He recalled Nigeria’s historic achievement at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Blessing Oborodudu won a silver medal, marking the first Olympic wrestling medal for the country.
Oborodudu, who will be competing in her third Olympic Games, is joined by fellow wrestler Odunayo Adekuoroye, also making her third Olympic appearance. Other qualified female wrestlers include Christiana Ogunsanya (53kg), Esther Kolawole (62kg), and Mercy Genesis (50kg). The lone male wrestler, Ashton Mutuwa, will compete in the 125kg category.
Adekuoroye secured her spot in Paris through a top-five finish at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. The other wrestlers earned their places by winning their respective semi-final matches at the 2024 African and Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament in Alexandria, Egypt.
In May, the Wrestling Federation sponsored a two-week training camp for the athletes, ahead of Mercy Genesis’ participation in the World Wrestling Olympic qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey.
Currently, eighty-eight Nigerian athletes have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, with many others still in the qualification process. The summer Olympic Games, set to take place from July 26 to August 11, will be hosted mainly in Paris, with events also spread across 16 other cities in Metropolitan France and a subsite in Tahiti.