– Nnalue, Udeh Shine in Greco Roman

Ondo State’s Bose Samuel reclaimed her national title in emphatic fashion on Thursday at the ongoing 3rd Gov. Dickson National Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa.

In the final of the Women’s 53kg, the 2018 African champion, who was dethroned by Rosemary Nweke at the National Sports Festival last December in Abuja, outclassed Ozioma Joseph from Delta State 10-0 via technical superiority to claim the gold medal on offer before a cheering crowd that had Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, who was represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tonye Isenah.

“I am very happy. Firstly, I thank God Almighty for what He has done in my life. I am very happy for winning the gold medal,” Bose said.

Regarding her preparation, she added: “I prepared very well because at the National Sports Festival I won [the] bronze medal. So, I was not happy at all, I had to go back home to go and prepare for this competition.”

In the two Freestyle finals decided on Thursday, Victor Firstman of Delta State overcame Stephen Akintene from Purity Club 6-4 in the 61kg class in a keenly contested finale, while Daufa Robert of Bayelsa State beat Omega Bassey of Oyo State to clinch gold in the 92kg category.

Meanwhile, in the Greco Roman events, Nnalue Dominic of Team Delta impressively took out Akiniwesi Boluwaji of Ondo State 11-0 via technical superiority in the 55kg weight class. And in the final of the 87kg category, Tobechukwu Udeh of Nigeria Army dismantled Emmanuel Duk of Cross River State 17-7 to claim his second national title.

“The Nigeria Army tried for us in getting us prepared for this competition,” Udeh said after his victory.

He also disclosed that he had a tougher challenge in the earlier rounds than in the final.

“It was not the fight that I thought will give me [a] problem. My first fight was more difficult. But anyways, it came easy like that. I thank God for this final, it ended 17-7.”

Following their victories, Bose, Daufa, Firstman, Udeh, and  Nnalue have all qualified to represent Nigeria at the 12th All-African Games in Rabat, Morocco in August.