Africa Wrestling Championships: Oborududu bags 10th African title

.As Adekuoroye, Genesis retain title

By Akeem Lawal

NIGERIA wrestlers, Blessing Oborududu, Odunayo Adekuoroye, Hannah Reuben, Mercy Genesis, Bisola Makanjuola and Kolawole Esther won gold medal at the ongoing the 2020 African Wrestling Championships in Algiers, Algeria.

Oborududu (68kg) claimed her 10th consecutive African Championships gold with an emphatic 10-0 superiority win against Rihem Ayari (TUN) in the final. The reigning Commonwealth champion had brushed aside Mona Ahmed of Egypt 10-0 via superiority in just a minute in her semi-final match.

World silver medalist, Adekuoroye claimed her 6th African title with an emphatic 10-0 superiority win against Eman Ebrahim of Egypt in the final. She defeated home favourite Cheima Chebila 11-0 via superiority in her semi final match.

Nigeria Army wrestler, Hannah Reuben (65kg) overpowered home girl Amel Hammiche 12-1 via superiority in the final to reclaim her African title.

Mercy Genesis (50kg) defeated Egypt's Nada Mohammed 10-0 via superiority to defend her title in style.

Bisola Makanjuola also won another gold for Nigeria in the 59kg by defeating home girl Rayane Houfaf 6-0 via pinfall.

Youngster Esther Kolawole claims her first senior gold medal in the 55kg at the African Championships with a dominant 10-0 technical superiority win against Dorsaff Gharssi of Tunisia in the final.

Defending champion Blessing Onyebuchi (76kg) however settled for silver after going down 9-3 via fall to Egyptian Samar Hamza.

Two-time Commonwealth champion, Aminat Adeniyi (62kg) lost to defending champion Marwa Amri of Tunisia 2-0 via pinfall in a repeat of last year's final. Bose Samuel (53kg) also settled for silver after losing to Joseph Essombe Tiako of Cameroon 4-1.

Nigeria’s fast-rising wrestling sensation, Sunmisola Balogun also won silver for the country in the 72kg.

Altogether, Team Nigeria won 6 gold and four silver at the 2020 Africa Championship in Algiers to retain her title in the women’s wrestling event.

At the last African Championships in Hammamet, Tunisia in 2019, the Nigerian women claimed 5 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals to emerge overall champions in Women Wrestling.