The Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) has ceremoniously welcomed back the nation’s wrestling team from the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics, despite the team falling short of medal expectations.
The event, organized to recognize the efforts of the athletes, was aimed at motivating them and showing solidarity during challenging times.
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service and board member of the Wrestling Federation, addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of unity in both victory and defeat.
“We stay together when we are happy and stay together when we are not happy,” Adeniyi stated. “We have a very useful lesson to learn from the experience we got at the recently concluded Olympics in Paris.”
Adeniyi also stressed the need for continued support, expressing confidence in the team’s potential to make Nigeria proud in future international tournaments.
“It is not only when we win that we should have this kind of reception. We find it necessary for us to show our athletes and officials that we are indeed a Federation and country that appreciates what they’ve done,” he said.
The president of the NWF, Daniel Igali, took the opportunity to apologize to Nigerians for the team’s performance, acknowledging the high expectations placed on the federation due to its past successes on the global stage.
“We also apologize to Nigerians for not reaching the climax that we set for ourselves,” Igali said, noting that the Wrestling Federation has a storied history, including six world championships—an unprecedented achievement in Nigeria’s sports history.
Representing Nigeria at the Paris Olympics were six wrestlers: Ogunsanya Christianah (53kg), Kolawole Esther (62kg), Adekuoroye Odunayo (57kg), Reuben Hannah (76kg), Oborududu Blessing (68kg), and U.S.-based Mutuwa Ashton (125kg). Despite their best efforts, the team was unable to secure any medals, but the Federation remains optimistic about their future prospects.
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