By Samuel Akpan in Paris
Nigeria’s Blessing Oborodudu has secured her spot in the semifinals of the women’s freestyle 68 kg wrestling event at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Oborodudu delivered a commanding performance, defeating France’s Koumba Larroque 6-2 in a fiercely contested quarterfinal bout.
The match saw Oborodudu overcome a challenging start, as she initially trailed earlier on.
However, she demonstrated her resilience and skill, taking a 3-2 lead before ultimately sealing the victory with a 6-2 scoreline.
Despite the enthusiastic support for the home favourite from the French crowd at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, Oborodudu maintained her composure and clinched the win.
The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Enoh, lauded Oborodudu’s impressive performance on Monday and urged her to aim for the highest honour.
“Blessing Oborodudu has shown incredible resilience and skill throughout her journey. After winning silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she has the experience and determination to go for gold this time.
“We believe in her abilities and are cheering her on to make Nigeria proud once again,” Persecondnews quotes Enoh as saying in a statement issued in Paris.
He added: “Blessing, you have already made history and inspired countless Nigerians with your strength and perseverance.
“Now, it’s time to aim for the gold medal. The entire nation is behind you, and we are confident that you have what it takes to reach the top of the podium. Go out there and give it your all—we are with you every step of the way.”
At 8 p.m. on Monday evening, Oborodudu will face Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan in the semifinal.
This matchup is a rematch of their encounter at the Yasar Dogu championship in 2022, where Oborodudu triumphed with a 3-2 victory to win the gold medal.
With this history, she will enter the semifinal with a boost of confidence, aiming to secure a place in the final and continue her quest for Olympic glory.
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