Wrestling Rankings: Adekuoroye is World No. 4

.As Oborududu, Balogun, Emmanuel, Onyebuchi make top 10

By Akeem Lawal

NIGERIA’S dominating performance at the 2019 African Wrestling Championships held in Tunisia has begun to pay off with some of her athletes making a significant climb in the latest ranking released by the United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling.

Only four Nigeria female athletes Odunayo Adekuoroye (9th), Blessing Oborududu (12th), Aminat Adeniyi (17th) and Blessing Onyebuchi (17th) were in the top 20 in their various categories before the African Wrestling Championships.

Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com reports that 2017 World silver medalist Odunayo Adekuoroye, who dismantle her Cameroonian opponent Essombe Tiako in the African Championships final via pinfall to win her 5th African title is now ranked World No.4 in Women’s Wrestling 57kg with 46 points, the highest made by a Nigeria wrestler.

Blessing Oborududu, who recorded her 9th consecutive African title after overcoming Anta Sabou of Senegal 10-0 (via superiority), is ranked World No.8 in the 68kg after gathering 18 points.

After winning a gold medal in her first senior category fight outside Nigeria, fast rising wrestling sensation, Sunmisola Balogun is ranked 9th in the world in the 65kg category with 18 points.

In the Women’s Wrestling 50kg, Mercy Genesis is ranked World No. 10 after winning gold in Tunisia.

Another gold medalist at the African Championships, Blessing Onyebuchi is ranked World No. 9 with 18 points in the 76kg.

Senior African Wrestling Championships silver medalist, Hannah Reuben is ranked 9th in the 72kg with 16 points, while 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Aminat Adeniyi, who also won silver at the African Championships is ranked 11th in the 62kg with 16 points.

Bronze medalists at the African Championship, Rosemary Nweke (53kg) and Ifeoma Nwoye (59kg) are both ranked 14th in their various categories with 14 points each.

In the Men’s Freestyle wrestling, former World No. 1 in the 70kg weight category, John Ogbonna Emmanuel, who won gold his third consecutive African title in Tunisia is ranked World No. 10 in the 74kg category with 18 points.

Commonwealth silver medalist and veteran Melvin Bibo, who won bronze in Tunisia is ranked World No. 12 in the 86kg with 16 points, while bronze medalist, Ekerekeme Agiomor is ranked 15th with 14 points in the 79kg class.

In the Greco-Roman rankings, Emmanuel Nworie (72kg) who lost his African title, as he settled for a bronze medal in Tunisia is ranked 15th in the world with 14 points.