
*Nigeria avoids heavy fines, ban
*Last minute rush led to Captain’s immigration issues
By Oluwole Francis
To avoid the heavy financial sanctions and ban, the Nigerian Ministry of Sports has sourced for and dispatched the four wrestlers to the 2016 United World Wrestling Golden Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday. The competition holds from November 24 to 26.
Nigeria was at the verge of missing out of the event with the new swansong of ‘no money’ when the implications were made clear and from the blues, the team were asked to proceed to the tournament.
The athletes that departed for the event are Blessing Oborududu, Odunayo Adekuoroye, Aminat Adeniyi and Amas Daniel. They are expected to compete at the event. But only Adekuoroye, Adeniyi and Daniel travelled to Baku. Oborududu was left behind due to immigration formalities.
The captain of the team Oborududu told journalists when spotted yesterday at the National Stadium that, “the others have left for Azerbaijan. I could not go because of some issues with my passport but Daniel Igali, the President of the Federation was the last to leave as they didn’t go together.”
The Baku Grand Prix will be Nigeria’s first competition the wrestlers will be attending after the high octave of expectations from the athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The country missed out on the Commonwealth Senior Wrestling Championships in Singapore. Missing out of the Baku championships would have become the biggest disaster to have befallen the nation.