The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Wrestling

  • Amas, Bibo, Emmanuel retain African title

    Amas, Bibo, Emmanuel retain African title

    Nigerian Freestyle wrestlers, Amas Daniel, Melvin Bobo and John Ogbonna Emmanuel won gold medals to retain their African title in Seniors Freestyle category on Day four of the 2018 African Wrestling Championship in Port Harcourt.

    Amas, captain of Nigeria’s Men’s Team, became an African Champion for the 6th time after overpowering Tunisia’s Haithem Dakhlaoui 7-2 in the final of the Seniors Freestyle 65kg.

    Ekerekeme Agiomor also recorded an emphatic 11-0 win via technical superiority in the 79kg class against Fredylan Marais of South Africa to land his first continental crown, and afterwards, thrilled the crowd with Usain Bolt-like celebrations and some great dancing steps.

     Having conquered Africa on six different occasions now, Amas says his focus will be on winning greater titles like the Commonwealth and Olympics Games.

     “I’m so excited, honestly, but I would also say not too much because my focus and where I want to arrive is not to be an African Champion,” the 2014 Commonwealth Games silver-medalist said.

    “I really want to be an Olympic Champion; I want to be a Commonwealth Champion.”

    John Ogbonna Emmanuel also  laboured very hard to defend his title in the 70kg class after being pushed to the limit by Egypt’s Amr Reda Hussein in the final.

    Hussein thought he had won the fight by criteria with scores at 2-2, but a challenge by Ogbonna’s coach handed the decision over to the Nigerian, who eventually claimed his second consecutive African title.

    Perhaps, the most impressive performance of the night goes to Melvin Bibo (86kg), who took out his South African opponent, Hein Jansel Van, 10-0 via technical superiority inside the first round, to hand Nigeria a 4th gold medal in the Freestyle for Seniors.

    Meanwhile, three-time African Champion and 2010 Commonwealth gold-medalist Sinivie Boltic failed in his quest to land a 4th continental title, surrendering 2-1 to Egyptian Khaled Mohamed Abdala in the final of the 125kg event.

    Soso Tamarau (97kg), Ebikewenimo Welson (57kg) and Robert Daufa (92kg) all won silver while Firstman Victor (61kg) settled for a bronze medal.

    After Day four of action, Team Nigeria emerged winners of the Seniors Freestyle category with  four gold, four silver and one bronze medal.

    South Africa finished second with two gold,  two silver and a bronze medal, same as Egypt who placed third in the Team’s classification.

  • Team Nigeria wins 21 medals, leading Africa Wrestling Championship

    Team Nigeria wins 21 medals, leading Africa Wrestling Championship

    Team Nigeria has won a total of 21 medals, leading the medal table at the ongoing Africa Wrestling Championship holding at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt.

    The medals comprise nine gold, five silver and seven bronze.

    In the women category, the team won 10 medal- six gold, two silver and two bronze- while men have 11 medals of three gold, three silver and five bronze.

    The medals were won in the concluded events of cadet Freestyle, cadet Greco-Roman and cadet women’s Wrestling.

    Read Also: Nigeria leads with 15 medals at African Wrestling Championship

    A 16-year-old Stephen Akintewe of Akure High School, Akure, Ondo State, won a gold medal in the 60kg cadet attributing his victory to hard work.

    Akintewe  said that he gave his all to training and took each bout cautiously following his coach’s instructions.

    “While preparing for this tournament, I took all corrections seriously and did all that the coach asked me to do.

    “This victory is as a result of hard work and taking each fight as they come.

    “This is my first appearance at the Africa Championships and I’m very happy to win the gold medal, ” he said.

    The gold medalist added that the feat would spur him to get better in the game so as to further represent the country at future tournaments.

    “I believe if I can improve more on myself there’s still a lot I can do for my dear country. I will go back to intensive more efforts into my training,” Akinteye said.

    The competition which commenced on Feb. 7 will end Feb. 11.

    No fewer than 90 wrestlers are representing Nigeria at the championship.

    The participating countries are Nigeria, Liberia, Egypt, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, Tunisia, Algeria, Namibia, Kenya, Burundi, Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Central Africa Republic and Madagascar.

    NAN

  • Nigeria leads with 15 medals at African Wrestling Championship 

    Nigeria leads with 15 medals at African Wrestling Championship 

    Nigeria has won a total of 15 medals (six gold, three silver and six bronze) in the Cadet Category event to lead the medals table in the opening day of the 2018 African Wrestling Championship holding at the  Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre in Port Harcourt.
    The gold medalists are Sunmisola Idowu Balogun (65kg), Tolu Ogunsanya (46kg), Yetunde Oluwatoyin (40kg), Cecilia James (68kg) and Mercy Adekuoroye (53kg) in the Women’s Wrestling, while the only gold medal in Greco Roman was won by Ukoro Peter (55kg).
    SportingLife reports that Nigeria have qualified in three Olympic weight classes (40kg, 53kg and 68kg) of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina later this year.
    In the Women’s wrestling 53kg, Mercy Adekuoroye, a niece to World Wrestling silver medalist, Odunayo Adekuoroye, defeated Soud Bouksir of Algeria 10-0 to secure the gold medal.
    In the 65kg, Sunmisola Balogun defeated Natasha Nabaina of Cameroon 5-4 in a tight final. She defeated Chaimae Taibi of Morocco 10-0  in the semi final after overpowering Natasha Nabaina 2-0 in the first round and South Africa’s Charmone Oosthuizen 11-0 in Round 2.
    Tolulope Ogunsanya won her gold by defeating Lamia Rtibi of Tunisia 10-0 in the 46kg weight class.
    Natasha Essien gave the country the only silver medal in the Women’s Wretling 73kg weight class, while Esther Kolawole (61kg), Esther Asaolu (43kg) and Aina Ohida (49kg) won bronze medals in the category.

    Read Also: Nigeria wins 2nd Africa Zone 2 Junior Swimming Championship

    In the Greco Roman, Ukoro Peter delivered gold for Nigeria by beating Omar Abdelaziz 4-0 in the final of the 55kg class. He defeated Lu Shawn Leonico of South Africa in the semi final. He defeated Linus Katujanda of Namibia 15-7 in Round One before beating Yassine Jaa of Morocco 8-0 in Round 2.
    Perediegha Ogidi won silver in the Greco Roman 48kg. He defeated Mervin Eixab of Namibia 9-3 in Round One but lost 6-4 to Mohamed Dridi in the second match.
    Ntem Moses Ifiok also won a silver medal in the GR 65kg class.
    In the GR 51kg, Damilola Gabriel Fayolemi defeated Yassine Chekly of Morocco in the bronze medal match. The other two bronze medals in Greco Roman were won by Yahaya Yahuza (92kg) and Ikechukwa Robinson (60kg).
    Egypt are second on the table with four gold, three silver and six bronze medals, while Tunisia are third with four gold, two silver and a bronze medal.
    Algeria are in the fourth position on the table with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals and are followed by Cameroon with two silver medals.
    South Africa are in the sixth position with one silver and four bronze medals, while Namibia won just one bronze medal to place seventh on the table after the Day One event of the championship.
  • Iran wrestler throws bout to avoid Israeli opponent

    Iran wrestler throws bout to avoid Israeli opponent

     

    Iran’s government has paid tribute to one of the country’s wrestlers who threw an international bout when he was ahead because winning would have meant fighting an opponent from Israel.

    The story of wrestler Alireza Karimi Mashiani has struck a chord on social media, with many in Iran backing his stance but some also opposing it.

    His bout was in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz on Saturday, in the 86-kilo category of the under-23 world championships.

    According to footage posted online, Karimi Mashiani looked well ahead in his bout against Russia’s Alikhan Zabrailov but then let himself be easily beaten.

    The Iranian athlete seems to abandon the fight completely and lets himself be dominated after a voice shouts out in Persian: “You must lose, Alireza!”

    The hashtag #youmustlose was trending Monday in Iran, with comments both for and against his actions, some of them hostile to Iran’s authorities and others saluting his stand.

    While he may have forfeited a podium place in the tournament, Karimi Mashiani did receive the backing of his government and the Iranian wrestling federation.

    “Your noble and heroic action in the world competition in Poland, abandoning the medal and the podium in support of the highest human values, ​​is a source of pride and praise,” an official statement on the website of the youth and sports ministry said, addressing the young wrestler.

    The country’s wrestling federation in its own statement called him a “hero” and extolled his “sacrifice”, hinting that he had acted in a similar manner previously in 2013.

    According to the results of the tournament, Russia’s Zabrailov won gold in the 86-kilo category and Israel’s Uri Kalashnikov took the third step of the podium.

     

     

     

  • Kano targets top three at NYG

    Kano targets top three at NYG

    The Kano State Director of Sports, Malam Bashiru Ahmed, has said that the aim of the state is to surpass it’s previous performance at the Youth Games, holding in Ilorin.

    Ahmed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ilorin, that the state is participating in more individual events.

    “This year’s National Youth Games, Kano is featuring in 15 events and we hope to get medals in 12 events.

    “Last year, we had 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze and I’m sure we’ll improve this year.

    “The state’s target is between 1st to 3rd position.

    “We are participating in more individual sports like swimming, Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Wrestling and I’m optimistic victory is ours” Ahmed said.

    He revealed that Eminike Emeka won a silver for the state in the Gymnastics event.

    “In the Vaulting Exercise of the boy’s gymnastics event, Eminike Emeka brought the state a silver and more is coming.” Ahmed added.

  • National Sports Federations’ re-run elections for July 12

    National Sports Federations’ re-run elections for July 12

    The re-run of elections into four National Sports Federations’ boards will now hold on July 12, the National Sports Federations Elections’ Petitions/Appeals Committee said on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Chairman of the Committee, Abdulrazak Salau, said in a statement that the affected federations were those of Athletics, Gymnastics, Wrestling and Taekwondo.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fre-run elections were earlier scheduled for this Friday, after last Friday’s conclusion of consideration of all petitions and appeals.

    Salau said the large number of petitions which trailed the June 13 elections at the Abuja National Stadium was overwhelming and his committee needed more time to attend to them.

    “We have had a lot of activities since the Appeals Committee gave its verdict on June 30.

    “The Committee has been bombarded with petitions and complaints from these Federations, including Rugby which was yet to hold its elections.

    “It has thus become necessary for us to shift the election re-run date by five days to enable the monitoring bodies, including the Election Committees, to conclude the screening and verification of candidates to ensure that what happened in the first elections does not repeat itself,’’ he said.

    The committee chairman said he and his members had been very careful to also ensure that candidates complied with the guidelines and present the right documents for verification.

    “Thereafter, the master list will be published for all to see before the bye-elections,’’ he said.

    According to Salau, fresh presidential elections are to hold in Athletics, Taekwondo, Wrestling and Gymnastics.

    He added that zonal elections would hold in Judo (South-West), Athletics (South-East and North-West) and Taekwondo (South-West).

    “All Zonal, Vice-Presidential and Presidential elections will hold in the Rugby Federation, also on July 12,’’ the committee chairman said.

    Salau, who is the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports, disclosed that the inauguration of all the Federations would now hold on July 20 at the Abuja National Stadium.

    NAN reports that the inauguration was earlier slated for July 13, before being moved to July 10.

  • Bayelsa retains wrestling trophy

    Bayelsa State has won the Governor Dickson National Wrestling Classics for the second time. The state emerged victorious in the maiden edition of the competition last year.

    In the second edition, which took place recently at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa Team was exceptionally rugged. It was a happy moment for residents of the state who trooped out en masse to cheer their team.

    Governor Seriake Dickson was in the crowd of spectators. He was elated that the trophy returned to the state, famous for wrestling. Even the Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalung, watched the event with excitement.

    Dickson called for synergy among the state government, the Federal Ministry of Sports and other interested partners in the sub-sector for the development of the State’s Sports Academy, Asoama in Kolokuma Opokuma Local Government Area.

    The Asoama Sports Academy is an integrated sporting educational facility conceived by the Dickson’s administration to harness the potential in sports by developing budding talents in the teeming population of youths in the state.

    Dickson described the sports facility as a centre for excellence. He said the partnership was crucial to enable youths excel in sporting and academic activities. He said the academy, which jus equipped with modern facilities, has the capacity to accommodate 1000 students.

    Dickson insisted that Bayelsa is a natural home of wrestling. He announced the state government’s plans to host the national wrestling tournament annually and also urged the state Ministry of Sports Development to organise state-wide wrestling competitions to fish out budding talents.

    The governor congratulated the participants in the wrestling competition and advocated the need to promote sports development as a viable platform for the mobilisation of youths for national development.

    In his remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dalung lauded the Dickson-led administration for its investments, not only in sports infrastructure, but also in sporting activities, especially in the areas of wrestling.

    Dalung identified sports as a veritable tool for the promotion of national integration, employment and wealth creation, noting that, sports could also be used to promote a healthy lifestyle.

    He said the Federal Government has a deliberate policy to involve the private sector in sports development. He charged state governments to key into the policy by promoting various sporting events in areas they have comparative advantage to make for easy management of sports in the country.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the Daniel Igali Recreation Centre in Yenagoa, President of the National Wrestling Federation and former Olympic Wrestling Gold medalist, Mr. Daniel Igali said the facility was provided to enable elite athletes train properly.

    He expressed the hope that in the next three months, the facility would secure accreditation from the International Wrestling Federation and attract internationally recognised coaches to train wrestlers at the facility.

    The winners of the various weight classes of the tournament, which featured competitions in Greco-Roman, Female and Male Free-style wrestling will represent Nigeria at the African Championship scheduled to hold later in the year in Marakesh, Morocco.

    Defending Champions, Bayelsa emerged victorious in the Greco-Roman, the Male and Female Free-style categories to retain the over-all trophy.

  • Iran: American wrestlers refused visas for World Cup

    Iran: American wrestlers refused visas for World Cup

    Iran has banned American wrestlers from competing in a World Cup competition by denying them visas in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order from last week on immigration, the IRNA news agency reported on Friday.

    The report quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying the case was looked into by a special committee but that “unfortunately we were forced to take this step, based on the latest developments’’.

    Under Trump’s executive order citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, are banned from entering the U.S.

    Iran said it would retaliate and the American wrestlers were now banned although several Iran media had called for their planned presence at the freestyle World Cup meet Feb. 16 and 17 in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah.

    Wrestling is very popular in both countries. American wrestlers have regularly competed in Iran, and Iranian wrestlers in the U.S., over the past two decades.

  • Ambode’s Wrestle Force Tourney: LOC solicits for support

    The Local Organising Committee ( LOC) of the Intercontinental Wrestle Force Championship has called on good citizens of Lagos to give their total support for the competition.
    The Intercontinental Wrestle Force Championship is being packaged to celebrate the achievements of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos since he assumed office. The tournament will be held across 14 centres in the three Senatorial Districts of Lagos from December 4 to18.
    Chairman of the LOC, Otunba Dengel Anifowoshe said that the competition needed the support of every citizen of Lagos State because it is an event meant not only to celebrate the Governor, but showcase the rich tourism potentials of the state to the outside world, as more than 49 international wrestlers across all continents of the world would converge in the state to do their trade.
    “We want to tell the world that we are ready and we are more grateful to the Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode for giving us the approval and all support to organise the event. That is why I am calling on every Lagosian to rally round us, most especially the corporate organisations, political office holders across all tier of the government, as we celebrate our esteemed and sports loving Governor, “said Otunba Anifowoshe, who is also the Chairman of the Community Development Association’s (CDAs) in the state.
    Coordinator and Initiator of the competition, former Nigerian international wrestler, Prince Hammed Olanrewaju Mohammed said about five titles will be at stake during the two weeks tournament which will start in Epe and end at the Agege Stadium. The titles include are the Super Heavyweight, Heavyweight and the Ladies bout, while prizes will be awarded to the Most Entertaining Wrestler, winner of the Most Brutal fight of the tournament, the Best Dressed Wrestler and the Best Lady Wrestler.
  • Adeniyi leads two others for medal chase in wrestling

    Adeniyi leads two others for medal chase in wrestling

    Commonwealth gold medallist, Aminat Adeniyi will lead the duo of Genesis Mercy and Hannah Rueben, as Team Nigeria begins its quest for medals in the wrestling event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

    Adeniyi, a double African champion, will compete against the world’s best in the freestyle event of the women’s 58kg. She is expected to compete for medal against 19 other wrestlers across the globe.

    Mercy Genesis, who is making her international debut at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, will jostle for laurel in the women’s 48kg against 19 others including former Olympic Games medallist.

    Experienced Hannah Reuben who is making her Olympic Games debut will have her hands full against 17 others in the women’s 69kg of freestyle event.

    Five female and two male wrestlers are expected to compete for Team Nigeria at the Rio Olympic Games with all eyes on Odunayo Adekuoroye, a bronze medallist at the 2015 World Championship and rated as one of favourites to clinch a medal in the freestyle event.

    Meanwhile, Cuba’s Mijain Lopez Nunez won his third straight Olympic Games gold medal at the weekend with a 6-0 victory over reigning world champion Turkey’s Riza Kayaalp at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

    With the victory, Lopez becomes the third wrestler in the classic style to win three Olympic Games gold medals after Sweden’s Carl Westergren and Russia’s Alexander Karelin.

    After last year’s 1-0 loss to Kayaalp in the world championships finals, many wrestling fans were expecting a hard-fought struggle, but Lopez sealed his victory in the opening 30 seconds of the gold medal final.

    Lopez snapped Kayaalp down as the champ moved forward at the opening whistle.  With Kayaalp’s balance broken forward, Lopez wrapped up a tight chest-lock from in front and tossed the champ to his back for a sudden 4-0 lead. In the ensuring scramble, Lopez added a step-out point.

    As things got chippy with a frustrated Kayaalp in the second period, Lopez gained another penalty point and appeared to have technical fall within reach with one minute to go, but he chose to ease home with the victory.

    Earlier in the day, Lopez defeated London 2012 silver medallist Estonia’s Heike Nabi, bronze medallist Sweden’s Johan Euren and two-time junior world champion Russia’s Sergey Semenov – all by simple decisions.