Four Team Nigeria’s wrestlers have joined world number one, Odunayo Adekuoroye, to secure qualifications to the forthcoming summer Paris Olympic Games by winning gold medals at the African/Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in Egypt.
Adekuoroye had secured qualification to Paris Games last year following her bronze medal victory in women’s 57kg at the World Championships in Belgrade.
She is now joined by Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, Blessing Oborududu who booked her place at the Paris Olympics with a 2-0 victory over Uilau Tarkong of Palau in the 68kg Women’s category.
The Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) in a press statement released on Sunday by its media assistant, Promise Okotoko, said World Military champion, Hannah Reuben pipped Amy Youin Of Ivory Coast 6-0 in 76kg to secure qualification to Paris 2024 Olympic, adding to her African Games gold medal won in Accra, Ghana.
Esther Kolawole also book her place at the Paris Games following her 10-0 superiority victory over Angelina Rodrigues of Cape Verde to add to her African Games and African Championships triumph.
While Christiana Ogunsanya overwhelmed Egyptian Shaimaa Mohamed by 10-0 superiority in the 53kg Women’s event to secure Paris Games qualification.
Mercy Genesis narrowly missed out qualification to the Paris Olympics following a 5-7 defeat to Nada Mohamed of Egypt in the 50kg weight class.
Meanwhile Nigerian male wrestlers will hope to join their female counterpart to secure Olympic slots when they take to the mat later on Sunday, the final day allowed for window’s qualifiers.
The remaining Olympic slots will be decided May 9-12 at the 2024 World Qualification Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey, offering three quota places per weight category to the two highest-ranked wrestlers and the champion of a wrestle-off between two bronze medalists.
