Nigeria Wins 11 Medals At 2022 African Wrestling Championships
Team Nigeria capped an impressive outing at the 2022 African Wrestling Championships in El Jadida, Morocco, claiming 4 Gold, 3 Sliver and 4 Bronze medals.
It means all 11 wrestlers representing the country at the Championships each won a medal.
Blessing Oborududu became Nigeria’s most successful female wrestler following her triumph at the 2022 African Wrestling Championships. The Olympic silver medalist secured an unprecedented 11th consecutive African title at the weekend in Morocco in ruthless fashion.
“Let me seize this opportunity to thank my miracle Governor, the ever sports-loving Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Duoye Diri, and his Deputy, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo for their continuous support, granting me and my teammates the privilege to attend and compete in the African Championships tournament,” Oborududu said on Facebook.
“Let me also thank the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Minister of Sports, Hon. Sunday Dare for his hands-on approach to all matters that concern the Nigerian Wrestling Federation.”
After easily overcoming her opponents in the earlier rounds, the reigning Commonwealth champion made light work of Egypt’s Menatalla Badran in the final, securing a 4-0 fall victory in just 40 seconds to claim the 11th title in a row.
“Thank you to the Nigeria Wrestling family, the board of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, the Nigerian Olympic Committee, the Bayelsa State Ministry of Youth and sports, and the Sports council. 11 – time African champion! It can only be God,” Oborududu added.
In the 55kg weight category, Jumoke Adekoye – who won gold earlier this month at the Gov. Diri National Wrestling Classics – handed Team Nigeria a 4th gold medal.
Adekoye was victorious with three round-robin wins against Morocco’s Zineb Hassoune (11-0), Fateh Hammami of Tunisia (13-2) and Louji Yassin of Egypt (10-0). It is also her first African title at senior level.
The Adekuoroye sisters, Odunayo and Mercy, also impressively won gold for Team Nigeria in the Women Wrestling events.
On her part, world silver-medallist Odunayo Adekuoroye, who moved up to 59kg category, practically destroyed the field to claim a straight 7th African Championships gold. Odunayo beat Tunisia’s Siwar Bouseta 12-2 via superiority in the final.
The back-to-back Commonwealth champion had beaten Atika El Asla 12-1, Bouseta 11-0 and Congo’s Parfaite Mambou 10-0 in the semi-finals.
On a day to remember for the Adekuoroyes, Odunayo’s younger sister Mercy won her first senior title, with victory in the 53kg class. While leading 7-1 in the final, the former African cadet champion pinned Ivorian Nogona Bakayoko to win 9-1 and bolster the family’s legacy in the sport.
In the 76kg category, African champion Hannah Reuben settled for silver after losing 5-1 to title-holder Samar Hamza of Egypt in the final.
Similarly, Team Nigeria’s Patience Opuene also won silver in the 62kg class, after losing to veteran and Olympic bronze-medallist Marwa Amri of Tunisia, who claimed a record 12th continental title in a row.
On a very fruitful day for Nigeria at the Championships, Ebi Biogos (72kg) and African champion Sunmisola Balogun (65kg) ensured all 8 wrestlers representing the country in Women Wrestling won medals, both claiming bronze.
However, Team Nigeria surrendered the Women’s Team title to rivals Tunisia, who fielded a full team (of 10 wrestlers) at the tournament. The North Africans finished with 179 points to condemn Nigeria – winners of the Team title in the last 10 tournaments – to second with 170 points.
In the Freestyle events, which took place on the final day of competition, 4-time African champion John Ogbonna won Bronze in the 74kg category, While Commonwealth silver-medallist Ebikewenimo Welson won Silver in the 57kg. Tokyo 2020 Olympian Ekerekeme Agiomor also won Bronze in the 86kg category.
Nigeria’s performance at the 2022 African Championships:
Women Wrestling
Mercy Adekuoroye (53kg) – Gold
Jumoke Adekoye (55kg) – Gold
Odunayo Adekuoroye (59kg) – Gold
Blessing Oborududu (68kg) – Gold
Patience Opuene (62kg) – Silver
Hannah Reuben (76kg) – Silver
Sunmisola Balogun (65kg) – Bronze
Ebi Biogos (72kg) – Bronze
Freestyle
Ebikwenimo Welson (57kg) – Silver
Ogbonna John (74kg) – Bronze
Ekerekeme Agiomor (86kg) – bronze
Chidi Nwoke/FMYSD.
