Wrestlers Depart Nigeria Today For Pre-Olympic Event In Spain

Team Nigeria wrestlers will depart the country today for a pre-Olympic tournament in Madrid, Spain, before settling in Germany for their last camping ahead of the games proper.

President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Daniel Igali, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, saying the athletes have been in camp for a couple of weeks, training.

According to Igali, six wrestlers who will fly the nation’s flag at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France have been unveiled by the federation and said that he was optimistic that the they would put up a good performance at the Olympics.

“Yesterday, six wrestlers were celebrated in a colourful ceremony at the Dynamite Wrestling Gym in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

“The athletes will not only  participate in the Paris Olympics but they will compete and win medals to make the country proud.

“They have passed through a lot of training during their camping and I am sure they will surpass their previous performance,” he said.

NAN reports that Team Nigeria wrestlers comprises five female, one male freestyle wrestler and three coaches.

The wrestlers are: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, Blessing Oborodudu (68kg), the African champion Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) and Military World Champion, Hannah Reuben (76kg).

Others are the African champions and Olympics debutants, Esther Kolawole (62kg) and Ogunsanya Christinah (53kg) as well as Ashton Mutuwa, who will compete in the men’s freestyle (125kg).

The coaches are Victor Kodei, Purity Akuh and Happiness Burutu.

The 2024 Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11, in Paris, France.