‘Tokyo Heat Won’t Affect Wrestling Team’
Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) President Daniel Igali has allayed fears over the searing heat at the on-going 2020 Olympics games in Tokyo, adding the Team Nigeria wrestling quintuplet have settled down ahead of their competition early next month.
Team Nigeria wrestling team will be represented by five athletes including Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg), Blessing Oborududu (68kg), Aminat Adeniyi (62kg), Adijat Idris (50kg) and Ekerekeme Agiomor (86kg).
In Tokyo some , some athletes have reportedly struggled to compete under hot weather condition but Igali said there is nothing to worry about the wrestling contingent. “They ( all five athletes) are fine; I have been In touch with them every day,” the 2000 Olympics Gold medalist told NationSport.“ I am still in Istanbul. Still have another nine hours to catch my slight.”
Igali added:” They (wrestlers) have settled down; acclimatized. There is Nigerian food at the training camp. They are doing well. Training indoors so the weather has not been a problem for them.”
Over the weekend, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic said the weather in Tokyo was not friendly at all.
“Playing in extreme heat and humidity, it’s very challenging,” said Djokovic. “It’s something we’ve known coming into Tokyo, we heard and expected the conditions would be very tough, but before you come here and experience that, you don’t really know how difficult it is.”
Meanwhile, the Team Nigeria wrestling contingent will open their account at Tokyo 2020 from August.