By Olusegun Folarin
2021 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, Blessing Oborududu, has bid an emotional goodbye to wrestling after 19 years of active bout on the mat.
The 14-time African champion won her final bout to clinch gold for Bayelsa at the 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta and end an illustrious career.
The Bayelsa-born wrestler received an emotional farewell from National teammates with a pleasant standing ovation from fans, officials, and wrestling stakeholders.
Competing for Bayelsa State, the 68kg titan sealed her farewell with a commanding victory over Rita Odede of Nasarawa, clinching yet another gold medal to cap off a career marked by dominance, resilience, and historic firsts.
An emotional Blessing Oborududu in her farewell speech expressed appreciation for the support she had received since her career started in 2006.
Oborududu who recounted her memories especially during her participation at the Tokyo Olympics expressed the hope of more medals from the nation’s future wrestlers.
In a remark, the President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Mr Daniel Igali described Oborududu as an exceptional and absolute professional beyond being an athlete.
Also, Hannah Reuben led the tribute of teammates, who stated her heartfelt admiration for Oborududu, acknowledging her dedication, achievements, and impact.
She expressed gratitude for her years of service and being a great teammate and captain, and wished her well in her future endeavours.
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