By Teddy Nwanunobi
Nigeria’s wrestling delegation finished the Central African Wrestling Championship in Brazzaville, Congo, as the third-best team overall, behind DR Congo and Congo Brazzaville, who placed first and second respectively owing to the larger number of athletes they had registered.
Consequently, the wrestlers returned home with five gold medals and one silver across freestyle, beach, and women’s wrestling events.
The contingent made an immediate impact on the opening day, with Terry Godfrey claiming gold in the men’s 65kg freestyle category. Andrew Woyinkorikiye followed with gold in the 53kg women’s wrestling, before Precillia Archbone completed a dominant opening session by winning the 45kg event to give Nigeria three gold medals from three contests.
The team carried that momentum into the beach wrestling, where Woyinkorikiye and Archbone each claimed further gold medals. Godfrey added a silver medal in the same discipline to round off Nigeria’s haul.
Nigeria Wrestling Federation President Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who also serves as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, said the outing was part of a deliberate strategy to develop grassroots talent through international exposure.
“Competing against international peers introduces athletes to diverse wrestling styles, tactics, and higher physical demands. Athletes love winning. Success in international tournaments always inspires the next generation of youth to work hard. It also broadens their cultural and social perspectives, provides direct visibility to professional scouts, and establishes clear pathways for future success,” Adeniyi said.
He added that international representation had a wider benefit beyond the athletes themselves.
“International representation often attracts more public and private funding to local sports infrastructure. This is one of our strategies for athlete development,” he said.
The Nigeria delegation to Brazzaville comprised the three wrestlers alongside coach Kingkuro Oyinbrakemi Tangi and federation Assistant Secretary Abigail Ibrahim, with their participation sponsored by Adeniyi.