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Tag: Odunayo Adekuoroye

  • Dancing Queen Adekuoroye makes history

    ODUNAYO Adekuoroye is known globally as the ‘Dancing Queen’ for her trademark dance steps after major victories. And when she burst into the same dance steps after beating Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita to claim bronze at the world championship in Kazakhstan, fans at Barys Arena had no choice but to applaud the Nigerian prodigy.

    After missing the race for the gold medal following the 1-6 loss to Japan’s Risako Kawai, Adekuoroye moved straight for her opponent’s jugular to win the fight 10-0 in two minutes and affirm her status as one of the world best in the women’s 57kg of freestyle event.

    Adekuoroye displayed exceptional skill to confuse most of her opponents who had no answer to the Nigerian superior fighting style. And against Nichita she was ahead 2-0 inside 20 seconds and secured the win with a good rollover which prompted the referee to award her the match with a 10-0 win in less than two minutes.

    This is Adekuoroye’s third World Championship medal after winning bronze in 2015 and silver in 2017 in United States and France respectively.

    Blessing Oborududu is in race for a place at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the 68kg of freestyle  event after starting her campaign well against Italy’s Dalma Caneva with a 10-0 win. But she lost to eventual finalist, United States’ Tamyra Mensah 12-1.

    President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) Daniel Igali confirmed to NationSport that Oborududu would be fighting in one of the Repechage (qualifying) bouts with winners joining the list of qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.

    In today’s bout, Oborududu will take on New Zealand’s Michelle Montague on Mat A. But the second round loss by Aminat Adeniyi ended her dream of fighting for Olympics slot with her conqueror; Ukraine’s Yulia Ostaphchuk was beaten in the quarterfinal by eventual finalist, Kyrgyzstan’s Aisuluu Tynybekova.

  • World Wrestling Ranking: Adekuoroye is World No. 4

    Nigeria’s dominating performance at the 2019 African Wrestling Championships held in Tunisia has begun to pay off with some of her athletes making a significant climb in the latest ranking released by the United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling.

    2017 World silver medallist Odunayo Adekuoroye, who defeated her Cameroonian opponent Essombe Tiako in the African Championships final via pin fall to win her 5th African title, is ranked World No.4 in Women’s Wrestling 57kg with 46 points, the highest level by a Nigerian wrestler.

    Blessing Oborududu, who recorded her 9th consecutive African title after overcoming Anta Sabou of Senegal 10-0 (via superiority), is ranked World No.8 in the 68kg after garnering 18 points.

    Read also: Adekuoroye ripe for Olympic gold, say coach Purity

    After getting a gold medal in her first senior category fight outside Nigeria, fast-rising wrestling sensation, Sunmisola Balogun is ranked 9th in the world in the 65kg category with 18 points.

    Another gold medallist at the African Championships, Blessing Onyebuchi is ranked world No. 9 with 18 points in the 76kg.

    Senior African Wrestling Championship silver medallist, Hannah Reuben is ranked 9th in the 72kg with 16 points, while 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Aminat Adeniyi, who also won silver at the African Championships is ranked 11th in the 62kg with 16 points.

    Bronze medallists at the African Championships, Rosemary Nweke (53kg) and Ifeoma Nwoye (59kg) are both ranked 14th in their various categories with 14 points.

    In the Men’s Freestyle wrestling, former World No 1 in the 70kg weight category, John Ogbonna Emmanuel, who won gold at the African Championships is ranked World No 10 in the 74kg category with 18 points.

    Commonwealth silver medallist and veteran Melvin Bibo, who won bronze in Tunisia, is ranked no 12 in the 86kg with 16 points, while bronze medallist, Ekerekeme Agiomor is ranked 15th with 14 points in the 79kg class.

    In the Greco Roman rankings, Emmanuel Nworie (72kg) who lost his African title, as he settled for a bronze medal in Tunisia is ranked 15th with 14 points.

  • Adekuoroye ripe for Olympic gold, say coach Purity

    Female coach, Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Akuh Purity believes World Wrestling Championship silver medalist, Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) has gathered enough experience to win gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

    Adekuoroye, a two-time Commonwealth champion, claimed her 5th African title as Nigeria a total of 13 medals (6 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze) at the just concluded African Wrestling Championship held in Tunisia.

    Purity noted that the 25-year-old, who had earlier won gold at the Grand Prix of Germany in Dormagen and bronze at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov ranking series tournament in Ruse, Bulgaria must be supported by the country in order to achieve her dream.

    “Odunayo is determined to be at the top and that really helps her. So we are very glad and happy because it was a very huge success for us especially for the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, winning the title back is a joy. Without even dropping a point for anyone was fantastic. She is quite obedient and listens to instruction. In the final, I told her that the Cameroonian (Esoombe Tiako) is going to come after her and that she should just keep calm, after the attack, she should counter-attack and that was exactly what she did and she defeated her opponent within 29 seconds.

    Read also: 2019 African Wrestling Championship: Adekuoroye, Oborududu lead 14 others to Tunisia

    “I can assure you Odunayo has gotten enough experience. Within the first quarter of the year, she won the Grand Prix of Germany, won bronze in Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov and now the best wrestler in African Championship.

    “We will be having our Olympic qualifier in September and I can assure you she is going to qualify for the World Championships and we are doing everything to put her in shape to qualify for the championship. She is matured enough now, she knows and we too will keep eye on her, trying to see that she does better and encourage her. We still want the government and good citizen of Nigeria to really encourage her too,” Purity said.

    While commending all the wrestlers for their performance in Tunisia, Purity said, “The athletes performed brilliantly we started the preparation early, we started immediately after the National Sports Festival and I can assure you both the male and female team listened to instructions. We told them to give their 100 percent and that was exactly what they did. So I am very happy.”

  • 2019 African Wrestling Championships: Nigeria retains women’s title

    Nine of the 10 female wrestlers registered by Nigeria won different colour of medals and this ensured that the team retained its title as the best female team at the 2019 African Wrestling Championship which ended yesterday in Hammamet in Tunisia.

    Also for her display coupled with the way she handled most of her opponents, Odunayo Adekuoroye was adjudged the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament.

    The nine female wrestlers won five gold, two silver and two bronze medals with only of them missing out from the podium.

    It was Sunmisola Balogun that claimed the first gold medal for Nigeria in the 65kg after beating

    Bukrina Faso’s Yvette Zie 1-0 while Blessing Oborududu continued her dominance in the continent with her ninth gold medal at the continental championship.

    To claim the gold medal, Oborududu, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist defeated Senegal’s Anta Sambo 10-0 in the 68kg.

    In the 57kg, Adekuoroye was outstanding from the first round when she defeated Algeria’s Chaimaa Aouissi and in the final she overwhelmed Cameroun’s Joseph Emilienne Essombe Tiako to be flawless in all her fights. This prompted the organizers to pick the Nigerian as the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament.

    Also, Mercy Genesis in the 50kg beat Egypt’s Nada Mohamed to claim gold medal. Blessing Onyebuchi won the fifth gold medal for Nigeria in the 76kg after beating Egypt’s Mona Ahmed in the final.

    However, Aminat Adeniyi and Hannah Reuben settled for silver medals in the 62kg and 72kg respectively. Adeniyi and Rueben lost their final bouts to Tunisia’s Marwa Amri and Egypt’s Samar Hamza. The bronze medals were picked up by Rosemary NWEKE and Ifeoma Nweke in the 53kg and 59kg.

    To be crowned the overall champion in the women freestyle event, Nigeria amassed 195points to beat host – Tunisia to second place. The home team amassed 177points with two gold and two silver medals.

    Egypt finished third with 160points while Algeria and Senegal were fourth and fifth respectively with 83 and 57points respectively.

  • 2019 African Wrestling Championship: Nigeria female wrestlers get tough opponents

    The road to the podium for Team Nigeria at the 2019 African Wrestling Championship looks tortuous after the women team were handed a tough draw at the tournament holding in the tourist town of Hammamet in Tunisia.

    In the draw made available to NationSport yesterday, Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Odunayo Adekuoroye will begin her title defence against Algeria’s Chaimaa Aouissi in the 57kg in her quest to retain her title.

    Also in the 50kg, Mercy Genesis will slug it out with Tunisia’s Tiara Jaouadi while Rosemary Nweke will battle Algeria’s Ibdissem Doudou in the 53kg.

    In the 55kg, Esther kolawole will take on Tunisia’s Faten Hammami while Ifeoma Nwoye confronts Tunisia’s Khouloud Ouni in the 59kg.

    Another Commonwealth Games gold medalist – Aminat Adeniyi will also start her title defence against Egypt’s Gomaa Elkeliny in the 62kg. Sunmisola Balogun clash against Algeria’s Amel Hamiche in the 65kg, Hannah Rueben battles Tunisia’s Wiem Trabelsi in the 72kg while Blessing Onyebuchi will be on duty against Tunisia’s Rihem Ayari in the 76kg. Nigeria’s most successful female wrestler in the continent and eight-time African champion, Blessing Oborududu will square up against Chad’s Gassida Samia in the 68kg.

    The President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) Daniel Igali who was present at the draw told NationSport from Hammamet that it was a tough draw but is confident that the wrestlers would hold their own against others.

    “Everything looks normal. For me, the tough draw is that person that has a Nigerian in their pool. I expect all of my wrestlers to do well. They are the defending champions after all,” Igali said.

    He however lamented the absence of cadet and junior teams which he said would affect the country in future. “But I am very worried that in three to five years, we will be overthrown by the North African teams and South Africa. We neglect taking our cadet and junior teams to competitions,” the NWF boss lamented.

    The men’s team made up of five in the freestyle and one in the Greco roman events will know their opponents today after the draws.

  • Adekuoroye, Oborududu lead 14 others to Tunisia

    Commonwealth Games gold medallists –Odunayo Adekuoroye and Blessing Oborududu will lead 14 others to the 2019 African Wrestling Championship holding in Hammamet, Tunisia.

    In the 16-man list released by the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), eight-time African champion Oborududu will be aiming for another record feat in Tunisia and will be competing in the 68kg of the women’s freestyle.

    Adekuoroye who is ranked fourth in the world in the women’s 57kg will also be in action. Others include another Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Aminat Adeniyi who will compete in the 62kg.

    Read also: Victorious U-19 cricket team returns to Nigeria

    Other members of the women’s team are Genesis Mercy (50kg), Nweke Rosemary (53kg), Kolawole Esther (55kg), Nwoye Ifeoma (59kg), Balogun Sunmisola (65kg), Hannah Reuben (72kg) and Onyebuchi Blessing (76kg).

    The men’s team has Welson Ebikewenimo (57kg), Amas Daniel (65kg), Nworie Emmanuel (71kg), John Emmanuel (74kg), Agiomor Ekerekeme (79kg) and Bibo Melvin (86kg).

    The team will be handled by the duo of Purity Akun and Victor Kodei, while the NWF President, Daniel Igali will lead the contingent to the North African nation today.

    However, Igali told NationSport that team is poised to defend the title it won at the 2018 edition in Rivers State.

  • 2019 African Wrestling Championship: Adekuoroye, Oborududu lead 14 others to Tunisia

    Commonwealth Games gold medalists – Odunayo Adekuoroye and Blessing Oborududu will lead 14 others to the 2019 African Wrestling Championship holding in Hammamet, Tunisia.

    In the 16-man list released by the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), eight-time African champion Oborududu will be aiming for another record feat in Tunisia as she will be competing in the 68kg of the women’s freestyle.

    Adekuoroye who is ranked fourth in the world in the women’s 57kg will also be in action. Others include another Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Aminat Adeniyi who will compete in the 62kg.

    Other members of the women’s team are Genesis Mercy (50kg), Nweke Rosemary (53kg), Kolawole Esther (55kg), Nwoye Ifeoma (59kg), Balogun Sunmisola (65kg), Hannah Reuben (72kg) and Onyebuchi Blessing (76kg).

    The men’s team has Welson Ebikewenimo (57kg), Amas Daniel (65kg), Nworie Emmanuel (71kg), John Emmanuel (74kg), Agiomor Ekerekeme (79kg) and Bibo Melvin (86kg).

    Read also: 2019 African Wrestling Championships: Hope rises as NWF confirmed participation

    The team will be handled by the duo of Purity Akun and Victor Kodei, while the NWF President, Daniel Igali will lead the contingent to the North African nation today.

    However, Igali told NationSport that team is poised to defend the title it won at the 2018 edition in Rivers State.

    “We are going with full female team but we cannot afford to go there with the full team of the men’s team due to lack of fund. We are the defending champion in the female event while we are also the champion in the men’s event as we topped Egypt by three points at the last edition in Port Harcourt. I am sure we can retain our title in the female team but I know it is going to be tough particularly with the host team, Tunisia because they are also in good shape for now,” Igali said.

    The female team is expected to compete on March 30 while the men’s team will take to the mat on March 31.

    The team made up of 16 wrestlers and five officials departed Nigeria yesterday aboard a Turkish Airline enroute Istanbul to Tunis.

     

  • Commonwealth Games: wrestlers commend Gov. Dickson over rewards

    Welson Ebikewenimo, 2018 Commonwealth bronze medalist, and gold medalist Odunayo Adekuoroye, on Friday commended Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State for hosting and rewarding Team Nigeria Wrestlers in Yenegoa.

    The wrestlers in separate interviews told our reporter on telephone from Ibadan that they appreciated the governor’s kind gesture.

    Ebikewenimo, who won silver at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, said the hosting of the wrestlers by the governor was a motivation to them, hence the governor deserved some accolades.

    He said the federation had been fantastic for over five years with outstanding performances at the World Championships, African Championships and other competitions preceding the Commonwealth Games.

    The Bayelsa-born wrestler said Gov. Dickson had justified his place in history as a sports loving governor, most especially to the Nigeria Wrestling Federation.

    “I’m proud to be associated with my governor, he recognised us after the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and now he has done same thing again.

    “I think the governor deserves some accolades. Over 15 wrestlers are employed under the Bayelsa State Government.

    “This alone tells the world that wrestling is part of the Niger Delta.

    “Every week, most local government organise traditional wrestling and most of us take part in this historic event to keep fit and it’s supported by the governor himself,” Ebikewenimo said.

    Read Also:   CommonwealthGames: Nigeria medalists owed $90,000

    He also commended the relentless efforts of the President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali, for the immense support for wrestling team and his promise to make the country proud subsequently.

    Two times Commonwealth Champion, Adekuoroye, said the act exhibited by Gov. Dickson showed him as a lover of wrestling.

    “His Excellency Seriake Henry Dickson the Governor of Bayelsa State thank you sir, I am completely overwhelmed”.

    “It really showed how much you love and care for sports people and youth in general, I greatly appreciate,” the Olympian said.

    Each gold medalist got N1.5 million, silver medalist got N1million, while the bronze medalist got N 700,000.
    The wrestlers who failed to win a medal were not left out as they got N500, 000 naira, while the coaching crew got N1million each.

     

  • C/W Games: NWF names Adekuoroye,Boltic, others

     

    World silver-medalist and 2014 Commonwealth Champion, Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) tops the list of 12 wrestlers (six male and six female) that will represent the country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia scheduled for April 4 to April 15.

    The other female wrestlers listed by the Nigeria Wrestling Federation include: 8-time African Champion, Blessing Oborodudu (68kg); Commonwealth Champions 4-time African Champion, Aminat Adeniyi; 2-time African Champion and 2015 All African Games gold medalist, Mercy Genesis (50kg), two-time African champion, Bose Samuel (53kg) and National champion, Blessing Onyebuchi (76kg).

    The male wrestlers are 3-time African Champion and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Sinivie Boltic (125kg); 6-time African champion and captain of the Nigeria male team, Amas Daniel (65kg); African champion Melvin Bibo (86kg), 2018 African Wrestling Championship silver medalist, Welson Ebikewenimo (57kg); former African champion, Soso Tamarau (97kg) and Amos Assizecourt (74kg).

    However, one of the notable names missing on the list is John Ogbonna Emmanuel, who is ranked World No.1 in the 70kg freestyle category by the United World Wrestling (UWW).

    In a chat with NationSport, President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Hon Daniel Igali said the two-time African champion is in non Commonwealth Games weight class.

    Igali said the Governor Wike Wrestling Championship held in Port Harcourt late last year was used as trials for the Commonwealth Games.

    “We used tournaments to select the teams. But if there is a compelling case, we make decisions in the best interest of the country,” Igali told NationSport.

    Female Team

    1. Mercy Genesis (50kg)

    2.Bose Samuel (53kg)

    3.Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg)

    4.Aminat Adeniyi (62kg)

    5.Blessing Oborodudu (68kg)

    6.Blessing Onyebuchi (76kg)

    Freestyle (Senior Male)

    1.Welson Ebikewenimo (57kg)

    2.Amas Daniel (65kg)

    3.Amos Assizecourt (74kg)

    4.Melvin Bibo (86kg)

    5.Soso Tamarau (97kg)

    6.Sinivie Boltic (125kg)

  • United World Wrestling to focus on Adekuoroye

    United World Wrestling to focus on Adekuoroye

     

    Nigerian wrestling sensation, Odunayo Adekuoroye will be on the spotlight in February as the United World Wrestling (UWW) have perfected plans to record a feature documentary on the Commonwealth Champion.

    The media Unit of the UWW led by Tim Foley are expected in Nigeria on 4 February for the project which will highlight the potentials and achievements of the 24-year old, who became Nigeria’s first-ever silver-medalist at the World Championships in August 2017.

    At just 24, Adekuoroye has won several laurels in the sport. She is a 3-time African Champion, an All Africa Games (2015) gold-medalist, a world bronze-medalist as well as Golden Grand Prix champion, to mention but a few.

    The wrestling queen, who is currently taking part in Season 3 of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) in India with her team Mumbai Maharathi, recorded an impressive 5-1 win over Marwa Amri in the 57kg weight category on Wednesday.

    She dominated her Tunisian opponent of Veer Marathas, in the two rounds of the keenly contested bout. Adekuoroye won the first round 1-0 before wrapping up the second, 4-1.

    As a result of her dominant and impressive display, the 24-year old was voted the overall man-of-the-match on Day 9 of the tournament.

    The three-time African Champion had lost her first match to Belarusian World Champion Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of UP Dangal by 7-5 on 13 January, 2018.

    In the last two editions of the PWL, the Ondo-born Wrestling star helped her former teams Mumbai Garuda and Punjab Royals to win the Pro Wrestling League.