Olympics silver medalist Oborududu retires with NSF gold medal

2021 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, Blessing Oborududu, has bid an emotional farewell to wrestling after 19 years of active competition on the mat.

The 14-time African champion won her final bout to clinch gold for Bayelsa State at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, ending an illustrious career.

The Bayelsa-born wrestler received an emotional send-off from national teammates, along with a standing ovation from fans, officials, and wrestling stakeholders.

In her farewell speech, an emotional Blessing Oborududu said:
“I want to thank everyone who has been part of my journey—the Nigeria Wrestling Federation led by Daniel Igali and the board members, my teammates, and my family.

“After the Olympics, I thought of retiring, but the President suggested I retire officially at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, where I made my first appearance as a young wrestler back in 2006.

“I created a lot of memories, but my most memorable one was the Tokyo Olympics, which ignited hope across Africa because it was the first-ever medal from an African woman in wrestling at the Olympics. I hope more will come for our future wrestlers.”

In his goodwill remarks, President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Honourable Daniel Igali, described Oborududu as an exceptional and consummate professional beyond her athletic achievements.

“The type of Blessing is not easy to come by—and not easy to replace. I get questions like, ‘How are you going to replace Blessing?’ The thing is, you can’t replace Blessing. You might have another athlete, but not Blessing,” Igali said.