Nigeria on Friday, recorded a loss in the quarter-finals of the 50kg women’s freestyle event to end Nigeria’s hopes of winning more medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
Wrestler, Adijat Idris lost to Ukraine’s Oksana by technical knockout, in Nigeria’s final competing event at the games to end the possibility of Team Nigeria winning more medals at the games.
Nigeria’s only medals came from Blessing Oborududu and Ese Brume who won silver and bronze in the women’s 68kg wrestling and long jump events respectively, in a tournament which was marred by a lot of negatives for the country.
The blemishes, started with the disqualification of athletes for failing to meet testing requirements, to Nigeria’s most promising star – Blessing Okagbare, being dropped for doping, and a protest by aggrieved athletes on the streets of Tokyo;
Earlier in the week, Nigeria’s shot-put finalist, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also made headlines after posting a video of himself washing his only jersey ahead of the event, raising questions on the welfare of the country’s representatives, while Sportswear, giants – Puma’s, termination of its four-year contract with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) further highlighted the leadership crisis in Nigeria’s sports federation.
Regardless however, Nigerian athletes recorded a number of firsts at the games, also breaking some records;
The nation, for the first time, competed in gymnastics and canoeing sprint, with Uche Eke and Ayomide Bello, flying the county’s flag.
While on the track, Enoch Adegoke broke a 25-year record, becoming the first Nigerian to reach the final of the men’s 100m event.
Also, silver medallist, Oborududu, made history as the first Nigerian to win a medal in wrestling, after Ese Brume broke Nigeria’s 13 year medal drought with her Long jump bronze.
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