The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, in conjunction with the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), is to stage a tune-up tournament for Nigerian wrestlers ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan.
A statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday, by Mr. Emeka Dennar, Media Officer of the NWF, stated that the two-day tournament set for the ultra-modern Dynamite Wrestling Gym in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, under strict COVID-19 guidelines, would run from July 9 to July 10.
The event is aimed at getting the five Tokyo-bound wrestlers in prime shape, before their departure for the games, with the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the NWF, Daniel Igali, saying that it was also part of the federation’s plans for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Igali, who is also the Bayelsa Commissioner of Sports, said the tournament will ‘mimic’ the Olympics format ‘completely’.
“The plans we have for the Olympics stipulates that a week before they depart for Tokyo, we will have a tune-up tournament for them.
“So, we are going to be inviting four training partners; they have two training partners in camp, so we are going to bring in two more training partners from different states of the federation.
“In some weight classes, we might even bring people who are a weight class higher than where they, the Olympic-bound athletes, are, so we can give them a good test for their Olympic preparations.
“We are hoping to have four matches for everybody and we are going to mimic the Olympics completely,” Igali added while noting that there would be four bouts at the Olympics.
‘’So, we are going to look at four bouts here, if you win three bouts, you will get into the finals, and you will wrestle the next day.
“It will be a tournament that will take place between Friday and Saturday this week,” the statement further quoted Igali as saying.
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Former world number one, Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg), 10-time African champion, Blessing Oborududu (68kg), back-to-back Commonwealth gold medallist Aminat Adeniyi (62kg), and youngster Adijat Idris (50kg) would represent Team Nigeria in the Women’s category.
“2018 African champion Ekerekeme Agiomor (86kg) will fly the country’s flag in the Freestyle event.
“The five wrestlers have been intensifying preparations in their Yenagoa camp for over two months,” the statement added.
