Nigeria’s most decorated female wrestler, Blessing Oborodudu, is set to retire from competitive action following her final appearance at the 2024 National Sports Festival-Gateway Games in Ogun State.
Oborodudu, 36, begins her farewell campaign today (Tuesday) at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic Centre in Ikenne—symbolically returning to the state where she made her festival debut in 2006.
In a tribute issued by the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, the Olympic silver medallist was hailed as “a legend” whose name “resonates across Africa and beyond”, leaving a legacy that “will be easily recalled and remembered”.
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Since her first outing at the Games, Oborodudu has gone on to dominate the domestic scene, winning gold at every edition she has entered: Kaduna 2009, Rivers 2011, Lagos 2012, Abuja 2018, Edo 2021, and Delta 2022.
Internationally, she has enjoyed a glittering career as a 12-time African champion and made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, becoming the first Nigerian wrestler to win a medal, securing silver in the women’s freestyle 68kg category.
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Her retirement marks the end of a remarkable era for Nigerian wrestling and a career defined by longevity, excellence, and pioneering achievement.
