NWF committed to grassroots development, says Igali

President of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation (NWF), Daniel Igali, has reaffirmed the body’s commitment to identifying and nurturing a new generation of wrestling champions.

Igali, whose tenure as NWF president saw to the country’s rapid growth in the sport with two of the fighters, Blessing Oborodudu and Odunayo Adekuoroye consistently ranked among the top three in their categories, said the federation is now focused on unearthing a new crop of fighters to maintain the country’s position among the great wrestling countries.

Speaking at the yearly general meeting of the federation in Yenagoa, Igali reiterated the urgent need to replace the aging and legendary athletes such as Ifeoma Iheanacho, Oborodudu, Adekuoroye and Aminat Adeniyi, among others.

“As we gather today, let us reflect on the extraordinary journey, a testament to excellence and resilience that spans 12 remarkable years. The Wrestling Federation has evolved from modest beginnings into a formidable force in the realm of sports, earning both national and international accolades.

“Nigeria has emerged as an indomitable presence in women’s freestyle wrestling, where we have successfully defended our championship title at the African Championships an impressive 14 times. Names like Ifeoma Iheanacho became our first two-time world medalist; Blessing Oborududu made Nigeria proud by securing our first-ever Olympic medal in Tokyo, in 2020, while Odunayo Adekuoroye has graced the podium with four world championships medals.”

“However, as we reflect on our past successes, many of our legendary athletes are either aging or retired and like a seasoned farmer cultivating a new soil, we must understand that replacing such extraordinary talents requires time and substantial