According to the latest rankings from United World Wrestling, Odunayo Adekuoroye, an Olympian, has achieved the top spot globally in the 57 kg category with 49,000 points.
Adekuoroye’s outstanding performance at the ongoing African Games in Ghana secured her this prestigious position. She clinched the gold medal in the 57kg category by defeating Zineb Hassoune of Morocco with a pinfall.
In second place is Anastasia Nichita of Moldova with 47,200 points, followed by Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan in third place with 45,000 points.
Expressing his joy at the wrestler’s achievement, Daniel Igali, the president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, mentioned that Adekuoroye’s ranking serves as extra motivation as they prepare for the Olympics.
Despite not having competed as much as desired, Igali highlighted the recent success of Nigerian wrestlers at the African championships in Alexandria. Out of the 15 athletes who participated, they brought home nine gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. Among the 10 women representing Nigeria, they secured nine gold medals and one silver.
Looking ahead, Igali shared their plans for the 2024 Oceania/Africa Olympic qualifiers, scheduled to begin on March 22 with Greco Roman, followed by female wrestling on the 23rd, and freestyle on the 24th. Their target is to secure about five or six slots for the upcoming Olympics.
