By Akeem Lawal
THE Nigeria Wrestling
Federation (NWF) on Thursday unveiled a formidable team of athletes and
officials that will represent the country at the 12th Africa Games in Morocco, Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com reports.
The team, which is comprised
of 16 athletes, 5 coaches and 2 officials, was presented to the media at a
brief but colourful ceremony at the Dynamite Wrestling gym in Yenagoa, Bayelsa
State – where the wrestlers have been training ahead of the Games for the past
one month.
The NWF had earlier planned
to present 26 athletes at the multi-sport tournament in Morocco, but the
decision of the hosts to adopt the Olympic weight classes due to inadequate
funding meant Nigeria will be fielding only 16 wrestlers.
Reigning Commonwealth
champions Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg), Blessing Oborodudu (68kg) and Aminat
Adeniyi (62kg) top the list in women wrestling, which also include African
Champions Blessing Onyebuchi (76kg), Mercy Genesis (50kg) and Bose Samuel
(53kg).
In the Freestyle event,
5-time African champion and captain of the team Amas Daniel (65kg) is joined by
veteran and highly-decorated Sinivie Boltic (125kg), African champions Soso
Tamrau (97kg), Melvin Bibo (86kg), Welson Ebikwenimo (57kg), as well as the
very prolific Ogbonna John, a 3-time African champion himself.
Two-time African champion Emmanuel
Nworie (77kg) tops the list of Greco Roman wrestlers, which also has two bronze
medalists on the continent; Ikechukwu Robinson (60kg) and Tochukwu Okeke
(87kg), as well as debutant Alfred Pakistan (67kg).
At the 2015 Games in Congo
Brazzaville, wrestling accounted for 19 medals (9 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze).
The athletes and officials
are expected to depart Nigeria for Morocco on Wednesday, 21st August.
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