Rio 2016 Olympics: 3 Nigerian women wrestlers crash out

THREE women wrestlers of Team Nigeria on Wednesday crashed out at the ongoing Rio 2016 Olympics.

The wrestlers were all sent packing in round one, freestyle event in their different weight categories.

Mercy Genesis lost 0-4 to Poland’s Nina Matkowska in their 48kg bout, as Aminat Adeniyi lost 2-8 in the 58kg category to Maarit Olli from Finland.

Canadian Erzsebet Yeats made nonsense of Amuchechi Reuben in the 69kg bout with 11-1 scoreline to complete a miserable day for the Nigerian wrestlers.

Meanwhile, the remaining women wrestlers from Team Nigeria will storm the mat on Thursday in the freestyle event as Blessing Oborududu takes on Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia in a 63kg bout, while Odunayo Adekuoroye tackles Sofia Mattsson of Sweden in a 53kg freestyle bout, in what appears to be a rematch.

Adekuoroye, lost to Mattsson 2-4 by Fall in the quarter-finals of the world junior championship in Las Vegas, USA last year.

The reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist, was the first Nigerian wrestler to qualify for the 2016 Olympics, following her bronze medal feat at the 2015 world  championship.

It will be recalled, that the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Daniel Igali, had lamented poor preparation by the country’s wrestlers prior to the Rio 2016 occasioned by paucity of funds.

On arrival in Brazil for the Games, the wrestlers were without training partners to prepare adequately for the challenges ahead.

Following Igali’s complaints, the Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung later approved the trip of sparring partners for the wrestlers who later arrived in Rio, but the effect could not be felt owing to the timing of their arrival.