Team Nigeria’s athlete of the moment Blessing Oborududu has described her silver medal feat at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games even as she contemplates her future in combat sport.
Oborodudu made history yesterday as the first Nigeria to win an Olympic Games wrestling medal following her silver medal feat in the women’s freestyle 68kg final match against Tamyra Mensah-Stock of the USA.
“I am so excited that I could make it to the final in Tokyo and I am so proud of my performance at this Olympic Games and I am also excited as well,” she said moments after becoming the first Nigerian to win a wrestling Olympics medal.
Tokyo 2020 was Oborududu’s third appearance at the quadrennial games after London 2012 and Rio 2016 but the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 32-year-old is yet to decide her next line of action amid her silver-lining in Japan.
“I thought of retiring after the Olympics, but right now, I will go into discussions with my president and my coaches about the way forward,” she said.
Oborududu also said it had not been easy for her since she qualified for yesterday’s final.
“After wrestling to get into the final yesterday (Monday), I was having a lot of messages, a lot of calls,” she said, adding she had to lock down her phone for some time.
“This is because I didn’t want to receive any call, or anything that was really disturbing me.”
Meanwhile, chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali revealed that Oborududu wrestled her way to winning Nigeria’s first silver in wrestling event with nagging knee injury.
Igali said: “She did her best. We have been treating that tender knee all through the tournament. I was surprised she was able to take a full double attack.
“The Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare has assured that the knee will be fixed in any country of her choice when she gets back to Nigeria and settles down.”
Igali added: “Coming here to Tokyo, I would have gladly taken a bronze from Oborududu. This is a precious record-breaking silver. I’m so proud of her.”
Oborududu settled for silver following a 4-1 defeat to her long-term foe American Tamyra Mensah-Stock.
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