Adekuoroye emerges best wrestler at African Championships

Nigeria’s Odunayo Adekuoroye has been named the best female wrestler at the 2019 African Senior Wrestling Championships in Hammamet, Tunisia following her impressive showing on her way to successfully defending the gold medal she won a year ago in Port Harcourt.

The 2017 world silver-medalist and back-to-back Commonwealth champion made light work of her Cameroonian opponent Esoombe Tiako, winning their 57kg final in just 29 sec via pinfall to record her 5th African title.

On her way to final, Adekuoroye overpowered Jeannette Sambou (Senegal) 4-0 via pinfall before taking out Chaimaa Aouissi (Algeria) 12-0 via technical superiority to move into the semi-finals. In the last four, she also recorded another superiority win, outclassing home favourite Dorssaf Gharssi 10-0.

The 25-year-old’s award crowned a great day for Team Nigeria who emerged overall winners of Women’s Wrestling at the Championships with 5 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Other wrestlers who won medals at the tournament, came from Hannah Reuben (72kg) and Aminat Adeniyi (62kg), with Rosemary Nweke (53kg) and Ifeoma Nwoye (59kg) accounting for the 2 bronze medals.

Emmanuel Nworie in the 72kg category lost his African title, as he settled for a bronze medal after beating Tunisia’s Lamjed Maafi 10-9 in the 3rd place match.

Overall, Team Nigeria won Women’s Wrestling at the Championships with 195 points ahead of 2nd placed Tunisia with 177 points, while Egypt finished 3rd with 160 points.

It is the 3rd year in a row that Nigeria is winning Women’s Wrestling at the African Championships.

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