Nigerian female wrestler Odunayo Adekuoroye has secured her place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She achieved this remarkable feat by winning a bronze medal at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia. Competing in the 57kg category, Adekuoroye emerged victorious with a score of 9-5 points against Elvira Kamaloglu of Turkey during the bronze medal match.
This achievement is a significant milestone, as Adekuoroye becomes the first Nigerian wrestler to secure a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It also marks her third consecutive Olympic appearance, following her participation in the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games.
While Adekuoroye secured her spot, her fellow Nigerian wrestlers, including Blessing Oborududu, the silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and Esther Kolawole, faced tough challenges in their respective weight categories. Oborududu suffered a defeat against Russia’s Vusala Parfianovich in the women’s 68kg quarter-finals, while Kolawole was defeated by world number eight Grace Bullen of Norway in the women’s 62kg quarter-finals.
However, there remains hope for Oborududu and Kolawole to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, provided the winners in their respective events progress to the final rounds.
Nigeria is proudly represented at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships by a contingent of six talented female wrestlers. The championship, which commenced on September 16, is set to conclude on September 24, 2023.
