Ogunsanya crashes out of wrestling

Nigeria’s Christianah Ogunsanya crashed out of the women’s freestyle 53kg wrestling event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Wednesday, The PUNCH reports.

Ogunsanya lost 1-3 to Mongolia’s Khulan Batkhuyag in a round of 16 bout at the Champ-de-Mars Arena on Wednesday. The 22-year-old struggled to gain momentum, ultimately falling to her Mongolian opponent in the first period.

This setback marks Nigeria’s second loss in the wrestling event, following Blessing Oborududu’s earlier.Oborududu had reached the semi-finals but failed to secure a medal, also losing in the bronze medal match on Tuesday.However, Ogunsanya did not have such a luxury, as she exited the campaign in the quarterfinals.Ogunsanya’s early exit raises concerns for Nigeria’s wrestling team, which faces an uphill battle in the remainder of the competition.The team tutored by Purity Akuh had high hopes for a successful campaign, buoyed by the silver medal won by Oborududu at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Despite the early setbacks, other Nigerian wrestlers, including three-time Commonwealth Games champion Odunayo Adekuroye and top-ranked wrestlers Esther Kolawole and Hannah Reuben, still have opportunities to secure medals for the country in the coming days.

Coach Akuh has expressed confidence in the team’s preparations and potential for success, emphasising the extensive technical and strategic work done ahead of the games.

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