Nigeria Produces Six Gold Medals In Wrestling At 2024 All-African Games

It was an unprecedented evening for Nigerian female wrestling contingents at the 2024 All African Games on Sunday night, March 10, as they ended the night with six gold medals in different categories of the event.

In the 13th edition of the All African Games, Blessing Oborodudu grabbed the gold medal in the 68kg category after defeating Cameroonian wrestler, Blandine Nyeh Ngiri, 14-4.

Afterward, Moroccan wrestler, Zineb Hassoune, suffered a pinfall in the 57KG at the hands of Odunayo Adekuroye who got Nigeria’s second gold medal of the night.

Mercy Genesis followed the path of her countrywomen by humiliating her Egyptian opponent Mohamed Nada 7-0 in the 50kg to claim the third gold.

In the 53kg, Ogunsanya Christiana who was featuring in the All-African Games for the first time in her career stunned Ivorian wrestler, Nogona Bakayoko 11-0 to claim the 4th gold for Nigeria.

Hannah Reuben made it the 5th gold medal after defeating Amy Youin of Ivory Coast in the 76kg. And Kolawole Esther completed the clean sweep in the 62KG.

Before the final on Sunday night, the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali, reminded the president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu how he rewarded the Super Eagles of Nigeria who finished second in the 2023 AFCON.

Igali urged Tinubu to extend the same gesture to the wrestlers after the 2024 All-African Games which is currently ongoing in Accra, Ghana.

“The President has set a precedence of rewarding silver medalists because that’s what he did with the Super Eagles at AFCON and I hope that would be extended,” he told reporters in Accra.

“I’m happy that these wrestlers are now eligible for such a gesture, which will serve as more motivation for other athletes across the country.”