In preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Nigerian Wrestling Federation (NWF) has revealed that its wrestlers will begin an intensive overseas training stage in Saarbrücken, Germany, on Monday.
NWF President, Daniel Igali, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Ibadan, saying the training abroad will be a follow-up to the ongoing local training in Yenagoa which will conclude on Sunday.
“Olympic preparations are on top gear.
We have been in our training camp in Yenagoa for over two weeks and the training is going well so far.
“We have five Olympic-bound athletes and three training partners each joining us at the training camp.
The only male among the Olympic wrestlers who is yet to join the camp is Ashton Mutwa who lives in the United States.
“Mr Adekuoroye who also lives in the United States has already joined us.
Mutwa will be attending a training camp abroad due to special circumstances.
“He has very good training partners in the United States.
We are very happy with his training situation in the United States and want to keep it this way and we are monitoring it closely,” he said.
Igali assured that Mutwa is being closely monitored and the NWF is impressed with his performance so far.
He also said that Adekuoroye has trained a lot in terms of pace and strengthening.
“We have high expectations for her in the Olympics so we believe that she has good training partners here in Nigeria that will really strengthen her for the Olympics,” the NWF president said.
He revealed that the wrestlers were scheduled to camp in Germany for three weeks but the association wants them to stay in Germany till the end of July.
“This is often since we won’t start competing until August 5, and we’ll like to go to the games village for four days to our events,” Igali said.
Speaking also, Purity Akuh, the head coach of the female wrestling group, said the athletes and their training partners were in their preparation stage and working so hard.
He said his expectations as the coach were for each and every one of the qualified athletes to win a medal at the Paris games.
NAN reports that six wrestlers comprising five females and one male will represent Nigeria at the Olympics. The team has Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Blessing Oborodudu in the 68kg category, Odunayo Adekuoroye in the 57kg and Hannah Reuben in the 76kg, all being female.
The Nigerian wrestling contingent includes two women—Christiana Ogunsanya and Esther Kolawole—who will compete in the 62kg category, and one man—Ashton Mutuwa—who will participate in the 125kg category.
