Like optimists would say, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”. This is exactly the case of Blessing Oborududu who has managed to become Nigeria’s brightest medal hopeful in the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

As a matter of fact, if the worst happens on August 3 when her final match is scheduled to hold, Blessing would have succeeded in helping Nigeria secure at least a silver medal in the women’s 68kg freestyle wrestling category at the games.

A WRESTLER FROM SECONDARY SCHOOL

The 5 ft 4 inches tall wrester, who was born on March 12 1989 in Bayelsa State, has been a consistent and stellar performer over the years. Oborududu has won a gold medal at the African Wrestling Championships every year for the last 11 years, except for 2012 when she did not enter due to competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In an interview she granted to Vanguard in February 2020, she said: “My love for wrestling started way back in my days at Saint Jude’s Girls Secondary School Amaratan, Yenagoa in Bayelsa State. Back then, I loved wrestling because it was one of our favorite sports in the Niger Delta. I have been wrestling since I was a school girl.

TEARS OF FAILURE

“During one of our Inter-House Sports competition at Saint Jude’s Secondary School in 2006, the then Bayelsa State Director of Sports, Mr Jackson Bidei, and the officials of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), which had the then President of NWF, Chief Austin Edeze, were invited to come and see a budding wrestling sensation that was beating all her opponents.”

They were impressed by what they saw, so they promised to invite her to camp. During the National Sports Festival (NSF) in Ogun State, the Gateway Games in 2006, she was invited by Bidei to represent Bayelsa State.

“That was my first official outing and I couldn’t win anything,” she recalls. “It felt so bad that I lost my bout and wept bitterly but was consoled by Mr Bidei who told me not cry, that I would be a future champion.”

SNEAKED OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR TRAININGS

The wrestler’s story has been quite inspirational, as she never enjoyed any support from her then guardian and her brother (now late) in her dreams of one day turning professional.

She revealed that she would consistently sneak out of her house to attend trainings and tournaments because of the fear of being scolded by her brother. She did this for years until she was able to meet with a one-time President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, who, having seen her qualities and prospects, was able to visit her home to convince her guardian about her abilities.

ATTENDED CAMPS HUNGRY

She also revealed that she has had to sometimes attend camps on an empty pocket and also depend on foods shared by teammates to survive during those difficult times. Now, her perseverance and will to succeed are about to be rewarded with either a gold or silver medal as she faces America’s Tamyra Mensah-Stock in the final.

Reacting to this achievement, the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, told Punch: “This is a real Blessing to Nigeria. Thank you Blessing for wiping away the pain of the near misses recorded in other events. Nigerians are proud of you.”