Nigeria’s top ranked wrestler, Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) has qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after she reached the semi-finals of the ongoing 2019 Senior World Wrestling championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
The 2017 World silver-medallist defeated North Korea’s In Sun Jong 12-2 via technical superiority in the quarter-finals to secure her spot at the Olympics.
However, the back-to-back Commonwealth champion will contest for a bronze medal, as she lost 6-1 to two-time World and Olympic champion Risako Kawai of Japan in the semi-finals.
In the 76kg category, Nigeria also has a chance of claiming a bronze medal through Blessing Onyebuchi when she faces Aline da Silva Ferreira of Brazil later today.
Team Nigeria’s other representatives at the tournament, Blessing Oborududu (68kg), Aminat Adeniyi (62kg) and Emmanuel Ogbonna (74kg) will all begin their quest for Olympic tickets today.
By Chineze Ogugua
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