African Wrestling Championships: Team Nigeria arrive from Tunisia

By Akeem Lawal 

NIGERIA’S contingent to the just concluded 2019 African Senior Wrestling Championships held in Hammamet, Tunisia returned to the country on Wednesday night, Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com reports.

The delegation, which was led by President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) Hon. Daniel Igali, arrived the Muritala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos aboard Turkish Airline at about 7:20 pm.

The 16-man Nigerian team which won a total of 13 medals were received by few journalists and officials of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation without any fun fair.

Team Nigeria won Women’s Wrestling at the Championships with 5 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals in 10 categories to lead with 195 points ahead of 2nd placed Tunisia with 177 points, while Egypt finished 3rd with 160points.

Their male counterparts won a total on 1 gold and 3 bronze medals to finish 5th in the men’s freestyle with 63 points, behind winners Tunisia (183pts), Egypt (180pts), Algeria (117pts) and Morocco (90pts).

In a chat with Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com on arrival, Hon Igali commended the athletes for making the country proud at the championships.

“I think it was the duggedness of the athletes, the instructions from the coaches, the desire and fire in the athletes to represent their country and to represent it well. I’m really very proud of my athletes and coaches for this enormous feat that we achieved in Hammamet, Tunisia.

“The Tunisians have a very good female team and they were poised to come first, especially on home soil. So, it was a battle and my athletes were really dogged and wanted it bad enough. In spite of the preparations we had, this Nigerian spirit is something else. They get somewhere and in the heat of the moment they keep firing from all cylinders. I can’t be more proud than this and I want to give them all the kudos, they really did well,” Igali told Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com.

Medalists:

Gold:

Blessing Oborududu (68kg) 

Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) 

Sunmisola Balogun (65kg)

Blessing Onyebuchi (76kg) 

Miesinnei Genesis (50kg)

John Emmanuel Ogbonna (74kg)

Silver:
Hannah Reuben (72kg) 

Aminat Adeniyi (62kg)

Bronze:

Rosemary Nweke (53kg) 

Ifeoma Nwoye (59kg)

Emmanuel Nworie (72kg)

Melvin Bibo (53kg)

Ekereme Agiomor (79kg)