Great Excitement in Nigeria as “Consolidation and Consistency” Drive Wrestling Glory Under Adeniyi
Oru Leonard
There is a wave of excitement across Nigeria following a stellar outing at the African Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, as the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, reflects on his leadership philosophy of “consolidation and consistency.”
Adeniyi, who also serves as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, emphasized that his administration is focused on building upon the strong foundation laid by his predecessors—particularly the sustained dominance of Nigerian women in wrestling—while strategically closing the performance gap in the men’s category.
Speaking after Team Nigeria’s impressive performance in Alexandria, the NWF President attributed the success to a deliberate focus on the country’s comparative advantage in women’s wrestling, alongside renewed investment in developing the men’s freestyle team.
“Our approach has been clear—consolidate on what works and improve where necessary,” Adeniyi stated. “The performance of the men shows promise, and we are committed to re-strategising and building on this momentum.”
Nigeria’s women’s team once again proved their continental supremacy, clinching 8 gold and 2 silver medals out of 10 events. This remarkable feat extended their record to an unprecedented 15 African Wrestling Championship titles—an achievement unmatched by any Nigerian sport at continental or global level.
In the men’s category, the team delivered a commendable performance, securing 1 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals, signaling a positive trajectory for future competitions.
One of the standout moments of the championship came from Harrison Onovwiomogbohwo, whose dominant 10-4 victory over Egypt’s Mohamed Salaheldin in the 97kg category earned him gold and disrupted the host nation’s dominance.
Equally impressive was Esther Kolawole in the 62kg category, who delivered a flawless campaign—winning all four of her bouts by technical superiority and outscoring her opponents 40-0.
Adeniyi expressed immense satisfaction with the achievements, noting that fulfilling his promise to build on existing success remains a core priority.
“We are not relenting. While we continue to dominate Africa through the women’s team, we are nurturing the next generation and strengthening the men’s squad. The world stage is now our next target,” he affirmed.
With renewed confidence, strategic direction, and a blend of experience and emerging talent, Nigeria’s wrestling community is poised for even greater accomplishments on the global stage.
