Drama unfolds in golf, 10 walk-overs recorded in boxing

After 19 years of active service, Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medallist and 12-time African wrestling champion, Blessing Oborodudu, is bidding goodbye to the mat. The ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State will be her last as a competitor.
 
Incidentally, Oborodudu’s first-ever tournament as a secondary school student took place in Abeokuta, when Ogun hosted the 2006 edition of the Games.
 
The multi-medal wrestling event started inside the Obafemi Awolowo Square in Remo, Ikenne, yesterday.  According to Nigeria Wrestling Federation’s (NWF) Media Officer, Promise Okotoko, Oborodudu has decided to officially retire from wrestling at Gateway Games 2025.
 
Her journey to greatness began when she was invited to a national camp in 2007 to take part in the African Games after an impressive performance at a school inter-house sports wrestling competition.
 
Although her parents were initially against her ambition to become a wrestler, arguing that wrestling is only for boys, her admiration for Canadian-Nigerian wrestler, Daniel Igali, motivated her to delve into the sport.
 
Since her defeat at Gateway 2006 as an amateur wrestler, Oborodudu has gone on to win gold in all her festival participations from KADA 2009 to Rivers 2011, Eko 2012, Abuja 2018, Edo 2021, and Asaba 2022.
 
Meanwhile, at the Greco-Roman 77kg wrestling event decided yesterday in Ikenne, Team Delta’s Emmanuel Nworie grabbed the gold medal, while Bayelsa and Lagos settled for the silver and bronze medals.
 
Elsewhere, a mild drama unfolded at Abeokuta Golf Course after the disqualification of Kano women’s golfers for alleged cheating. The Guardian learnt that the officials claimed that the Kano golfers cheated, leading to their disqualification. However, after a thorough investigation, the officials failed to provide proof of the alleged cheating when questioned by the Acting Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Ibrahim Umar Fagge.
 
An angry Fagge accused the golf technical director of biased judgment, alleging that he favored a particular state. He then called on the National Sports Commission to intervene to save the image of golf in future championships.
 
However, Kano was later awarded the gold medal following the intervention of other match officials.There was also a mild drama at the boxing arena where over 10 walkovers were recorded on the first day of the men’s event.
 
The officials decided to abide strictly by the rules, which stipulate that if an opponent was not present two minutes after the fight had been announced, he would be walked over.
 
Some of the boxers who benefited from the walkover were Abijuwon Faruq of Lagos State (50kg), Israel Makinde (Delta State, 50kg), Mayowa Gbadeyan (Niger State, 55kg) and Kehinde Wazzan of Benue State (50kg).
 
Midway into the proceedings yesterday, Team Delta consolidated its place at the top of the table with a total of 171 medals, made up of 70 gold, 39 silver, and 62 bronze medals.
 
Team Bayelsa has 112 medals made up of 46 gold, 34 silver, and 32 bronze medals, while hosts, Ogun is in the third position with a total of 99 medals, including 39 gold, 25 silver, and 25 bronze. Team Rivers, Edo, Oyo, Lagos, and Osun followed in that order on the medals table.