Odunayo Adekuoroye Nigeria's gem in Wrestling

Posted : 24 May 2023

Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye is a household name when it comes to Wrestling, not only in her country of birth, Nigeria, but all over the world.

Adekuoroye, a freestyle wrestler, born December 10 1993, about 29 years ago has been a consistent goal getter in freestyle Wrestling which has made her one of the most decorated athletes in Nigeria in recent times.

Adekuoroye with her young age is already a multiple gold medalists in world competitions across countries including a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow which she got in the women's freestyle 53kg, then, she returned to the Commonwealth Games in 2018 to successfully defend her gold medal and repeated same at another Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 with another Gold medal, the highest so far in her blossoming career, although her medal haul in the Commonwealth Games started in 2010 at the age of 17 years when she won a bronze medal in New Delhi, Indian capital.

Adekuoroye's road to stardom began when she was discovered at the 15th National Sports Festival in Ogun State where she won a gold medal in the Cadet category 2006 at the age of 13.

Adekuoroye's first individual medal came in 2014 when against all odds she overpowered Sehrawat Lalita of India in the finals of the Women's freestyle to win her first Commonwealth Gold medal in the 53kg event.

Adekuoroye on March 2019, was ranked 4th by United World Wrestling in Women's 57kg class, while in 2018 Gold Coast, Australia, she turned to 57 kg and won gold by defeating Pooja Dhanda of India.

Adekuoroye won her third Commonwealth Games gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, defeating India's Anshu Malik in the final.

Adekuoroye also participated in World title fights as she got a gold medal for her efforts at the 2016 Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan where she defeated Russia's Nina Menkenova in the final of the 55 kg women's freestyle.

The painstaking Adekuoroye took the world by storm in 2019 at the German Grand Prix Championship in Dormagen where she sets a record of unbeaten 10-0 to win 57kg of Women's freestyle just as she defeated Hungarian Anna Szell in the final, while in July same year, she overpowered Ukrainian Tetyana Kit in another 10-0 fight to win another Gold medal in 57 kg at Yasar Dogu Ranking series held in Istanbul, Turkey.

On African continent, Adekuoroye participated in 2019 African Wrestling Championships in Hammamet, Tunisia where she defeated EssoneTiako of Cameron at the finals in 29 seconds while she also emerged as the "Tournament's Best".

Other medals by Adekuoroye include;
Gold medal at Baraza Champions of Champions Wrestling tournament in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State; 2020 gold medal in Women's freestyle 57kg, African Wrestling Championships. She is also a silver medalist in 55 kg event losing to Japan's Haruna Okuno at the finals of 2017 World Wrestling Championships held in Paris France.

She won bronze in 2015 at the World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas USA, and another bronze at Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Ranking Series Tournament in Ruse Bulgaria in 2019, while in 2022 she took bronze at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series held in Rome Italy.

In her Olympics records Adekuoroye represented Nigeria at the 2020 Summer in Tokyo, Japan in 57 kg category but was eliminated in the first round by Anastasia Nichita of Moldova citing injury.

As another Olympics beckons in France 2024, all eyes will be on Adekuoroye to perform as one of the highest ranked wrestlers in the world.

Nigeria should be able to count on her strength to deliver at least a bronze medal.

Odunayo Adekuoroye Nigeria's gem in Wrestling

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