HAMMAMET, Tunisia (May 19) -- For a brief period in the evening session of the African Championships in Hammamet, the local Tunisian fans believed that the nation can win the women's wrestling team title.
Led by Olympic bronze medalist Marwa AMRI (TUN), Tunisia remained at the heels of Nigeria in the race with three gold medals after seven weight classes were finished.
But as the session progressed, Nigeria continued to assert its dominance and defended its team title from last year with 230 points, 51 points more than second-placed Tunisia.
Olympic silver medalist Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) won a record-extending 13th African title at 68kg and helped her team to the top of the podium, even as three-time world medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) skipped the tournament.
Oborududu, who had not wrestled since the World Championships, was in a Nelson bracket. She wrestled four bouts Friday and won all four without giving up a point. She began with a 10-0 thrashing of Samah ABDELLATIF (EGY), followed by a win by the same scoreline against Nassma ESSATOURI (MAR). After pinning Nour JELJELI (TUN) in her third bout, Oborududu received a walkover to claim the gold medal.
Joining her as gold medalists were five other Nigeria wrestlers with Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) at 50kg, Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) at 53kg, Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR) at 55kg, Mercy ADEKUORIYE (NGR) at 57kg, and Ebi BIOGOS (NGR) at 72kg.
Genesis captured her fourth African title and first since 2019 as she had skipped the previous three editions. With only four wrestlers entered at 50kg, Genesis wrestled in three bouts and outscored her opponents 31-0, all three wins being technical superiority.
Wrestling at her first senior championships, Ogunsanya impressed all in Hammamet as she won the gold medal with three dominant victories. She began with an 11-0 win over Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG) in the quarterfinals followed by a 10-2 win over Shaimaa ABDELZAHER (EGY) in the semifinal.
From the other side of the bracket Nogona BAKAYOKO (CIV), reached the 53kg final for the second straight year. But she had no answers to Ogunsanya's attack in the final and lost 11-0.
At 55kg, Adekoye defended her gold medal from El Jadida as she navigated through a Nelson bracket. She first wrestled Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR) and won 13-2. Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN) gave her best to deny Adekoye in Round 2 but she fell short and lost 6-3. In the Round 3 bout, Adekoye hammered Achouak TEKOUK (ALG) 11-0 to win the gold medal.
Last year in El Jadida, Adekuoroye won the 53kg gold medal but she jumped two weight classes to 57kg for Hammamet. However, there was no change in the color of the medal as she won the gold in the new weight class as well.
Despite a big change in weight, Adekuoroye looked in no trouble as she dispatched Veronica AYO (UGA) 11-0, Louji YASSIN (EGY) via fall and Rayane HOUFAF (ALG) 10-0 in the morning. In the semifinal, Adekuoroye continued her strong performance and defeated Bachir FALMATA SALI (CMR) via fall.
Faten HAMMAMI (TUN), who won three of her four bouts via fall, was expected to give a fight in the final but Adekuoroye was in a league of her own and won the gold medal with an 11-0 thrashing.
At 72kg, Biogos pulled off two incredible wins to capture the gold. She upset home favorite Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) 4-1 in Round 1 and Menatalla BADRAN (EGY) 5-0 in the decisive Round 5 battle.
3 golds for Tunisia
Amri defended her 62kg title for Tunisia, beating Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 7-1, in the gold medal bout, a stunning reversal from the morning Round 1 bout in which Kolawole defeated Amri 4-3. Perhaps taking lessons from that loss, Amri changed her strategy in the final and controlled it for six minutes to win 7-1.
At 59kg, Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) held off Patience OPUENE (NGR) 8-3 in the final to win her first African title. She had reached the final of the 59kg weight class last year as well but lost to Odunayo to finish second.
But there was no stopping Bouseta this year as she won four of her bouts via fall and then remained calm against Opuene who did threaten to deny Bouseta of the gold. However, Bouseta managed to win in front of her home crowd.
Only three wrestlers were entered at 65kg and Khadija JLASSI (TUN) made sure she emerges as the best among them.
The 21-year-old began her day with a 10-0 win over Eunice MBURU (KEN) in Round 1 and looked in trouble against Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR) who led 5-0 in the Round 2 bout.
But Mughenbofa was not aware of Jlassi's ability to pull off big throws. Jlassi, like many times in her career, unleashed a big throw and put Mughenbofa to her back to secure the fall and capture the gold medal.
Jlassi had missed out on the gold medal last year, winning silver at 65kg. But she has begun this year on a good note, winning the bronze medals at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series and Dan Kolov international tournament.
Hamza defends
World silver medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY) managed to defend her 76kg gold medal in Hammamet after a close 4-2 win over Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) in the final.
This was Hamza's sixth African title as she continues to chase Doaa MAHER (EGY) who won a record seven gold medals for Egypt at the event.
In the first bout of the day, Hamza humbled Amy YOUIN (CIV) 11-0 but faced a stern test against Anta SAMBOU (SEN) in Round 2. She survived, barely, to win 3-2.
Hamza pinned Ranim SAIDI (TUN) in the semifinal before winning the gold medal over Rueben.
RESULTS
Women's wrestling
50kg
GOLD: Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR)
SILVER: Cheima CHEBILA (ALG)
BRONZE: Emma WANGILA (KEN)
53kg
GOLD: Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) df. Nogona BAKAYOKO (CIV), 11-0
BRONZE: Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG) df. Shaimaa ABDELZAHER (EGY), via fall
BRONZE: Abir ZARROUKI (TUN) df. Elisa NOMENJANAHARY (MAD), via inj. def.
55kg
GOLD: Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR)
SILVER: Achouak TEKOUK (ALG)
BRONZE: Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)
57kg
GOLD: Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. Faten HAMMAMI (TUN), 11-0
BRONZE: Rayane HOUFAF (ALG) df. Bachir FALMATA SALI (CMR), via fall (6-8)
59kg
GOLD: Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) df. Patience OPUENE (NGR), 8-3
BRONZE: Farah HUSSEIN (EGY) df. Chaimaa AOUISSI (ALG), 5-0
62kg
GOLD: Marwa AMRI (TUN) vs. Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 7-1
BRONZE: Fatoumata CAMARA (GUI) df. Mastoura SOUDANI (ALG), via inj.
65kg
GOLD: Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
SILVER: Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR)
BRONZE: Eunice MBURU (KEN)
68kg
GOLD: Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
SILVER: Samah ABDELLATIF (EGY)
BRONZE: Nour JELJELI (TUN)
72kg
GOLD: Ebi BIOGOS (NGR)
SILVER: Menatalla BADRAN (EGY)
BRONZE: Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)
76kg
GOLD: Samar HAMZA (EGY) df. Hannah RUEBEN (NGR), 4-2
BRONZE: Anta SAMBOU (SEN) df. Ranim SAIDI (TUN), via fall
