Golden Weekend: Nigeria Excels in Wrestling, Football, and Athletics

Golden Weekend: Nigeria Excels in Wrestling, Football, and Athletics

By Niyi Busari 

Nigeria recorded an impressive series of performances across multiple sports over the weekend, with athletes excelling in wrestling, football, and athletics on the global stage, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

At the African Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, Egypt, Team Nigeria reaffirmed its dominance in women’s wrestling by clinching the overall title for a record-extending 15th time. The team delivered a commanding display, winning eight gold medals and two silvers from the ten events contested.

In the men’s competition, Harrison Onovwiomogbhwo secured a notable victory against Egypt’s Mohamed Mostafa, triumphing 10–4 in front of a home crowd. His performance contributed to Nigeria finishing third in the men’s team standings, ensuring a place on the podium.

In football, Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team, the Falconets, moved closer to securing qualification for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup following a 2–0 win over Malawi in the first leg of their final qualifying round in Ikenne-Remo. The result puts the Falconets in a strong position to maintain their record of appearing at every edition of the tournament since its inception in 2002.

On the track, Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m relay team delivered a historic performance at the World Relays in Gaborone. The quartet of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Chukwuka-Obi, Chidera Ezeakor, and Maria Thompson clocked 40.24 seconds to finish fourth in Heat 1. The time set a new African record and secured qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in China.

Collectively, these results underscore a period of sustained success for Nigerian sports, reflecting both depth of talent and growing competitiveness across disciplines.