Nigeria Win Four Gold Medals in Women’s Wrestling at African Championships

Nigeria delivered a dominant performance in the women’s wrestling events at the Senior African Championships in Alexandria, winning four of the five gold medals available on Saturday.

The championships, which followed the U17 and U20 African events, featured all 10 Greco-Roman categories and five women’s freestyle weight classes.

Nigeria’s golden run began in the 53kg category as Christianah Ogunsanya retained her title to become a four-time African champion. She was leading Nogona Bakayoko 7-1 in the final before her opponent withdrew due to injury, handing the Nigerian victory.

At 57kg, Jumoke Adekoye also secured a fourth continental crown after defeating Achouak Tekouk 8-4 in the final.

The third gold medal came through Esther Kolawole in the 62kg division. Kolawole, a world bronze medallist, won all four of her round-robin matches in emphatic fashion, outscoring opponents 40-0 and claiming each bout by technical superiority.

Her standout performance came against Mouda Hamdoun, whom she defeated in just one minute after a takedown and four quick turns.

At 76kg, Damola Ojo successfully defended her title to become a two-time African champion after a 3-1 victory over Pelagie Wilita in the final.

The only category Nigeria failed to win was the 68kg class, where host nation Egypt claimed gold through Sabah Khamis.

Khamis defeated defending champion Hannah Rueben 8-7 in a thrilling opening round contest. Rueben settled for silver, adding to her impressive tally of eight African Championships medals, including three golds and five silvers.