Four Nigerian wrestlers have punched their tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympics after a successful showing at the African championships and Olympics qualifiers in Alexandria, Egypt. These athletes will be joining the likes of Odunayo Adekuoroye, who secured her spot in 2023 with a bronze medal win at the World Championships in Belgrade.
Among the qualifiers is Blessing Oborodudu, a silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, who secured her place in Paris with a decisive 2-0 victory over Uilau Tarkong of Palau in the 68kg category. World Military Champion Hannah Reuben also clinched her spot with a dominant 6-0 win over Amy Youin of Cote D’Ivoire in the 76kg category.
Esther Kolawole and Christiana Ogunsanya also secured their spots in Paris with impressive victories over their opponents. Kolawole defeated Angelina Rodrigues of Cape Verde 10-0, while Ogunsanya overpowered Egyptian Shaimaa Mohamed with a score of 10-0 in the 53kg category.
Unfortunately, Mercy Genesis narrowly missed out on qualification after a tough 5-7 defeat to Nada Mohamed of Egypt in the 50kg weight class. Despite this setback, five female wrestlers will proudly represent Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Nigerian male freestyle wrestlers will have their chance to qualify on Sunday, the final day of the qualifiers in Alexandria. The remaining Olympic slots will be up for grabs at the 2024 World Qualification Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey from May 9 to 12.
Stay tuned as these talented athletes continue to make their mark on the international stage, showcasing the strength and skill of Nigerian wrestling to the world.
