President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called on Team Nigeria to show patriotism, commitment, and determination as they prepare for the 2026 World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Adeniyi made this call during his visit to the Nigerian wrestling team’s training camp in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday. The federation is stepping up preparations for the global event set for October 24 to November 1.
He praised the athletes for staying in camp despite the October 1 public holiday. This shows their dedication to national service and their desire to represent Nigeria on the world stage. Adeniyi said their commitment to training, even on a holiday, reflects the patriotic spirit needed to succeed at top levels.
“It is also Nigeria’s Independence Day, so I felt this was an opportunity to identify with our athletes. They have been in camp for about two weeks now, preparing for a very important competition in the coming weeks. They will be representing Nigeria at the World Championships in Kazakhstan, and they have been working hard to fine-tune their strategies and get themselves ready for the challenge,” Adeniyi said.
He urged the athletes to stay focused and disciplined during the last phase of their preparations. Adeniyi emphasized that their performance in Kazakhstan would be a chance to show Nigeria’s strength in wrestling. He told them to go into the championships with the confidence of athletes who can achieve great results against the world’s best.
Adeniyi highlighted that Olympic qualification tickets will be available at the championships, making this competition even more significant.
“We want to support and motivate them to achieve the best possible results for Nigeria in Kazakhstan. Olympic qualification tickets will also be at stake, so this is not just another World Championships,” he said.
The NWF president stressed that the federation's support must go hand in hand with the athletes' dedication. He pointed out that success on the global stage involves teamwork from administrators, coaches, and wrestlers. He encouraged the team to stay united and maintain high team spirit, urging them to find motivation in the honor of wearing Nigeria's colors.
Adeniyi shared that Nigeria will send a strong women’s team to the championships. “For the women, where we have a very big chance, we are going with about 10 of them. For the men, we are going with three. And then we have our athletes who are also going to be representing them. We want to wish them well, encourage them to remain focused and ensure that they have the support and motivation they need to perform at their best,” he added.
Dignitaries present at the camp visit included United World Wrestling Bureau Member, Daniel Igali; NWF Board member, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu; Acting Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone C; and Deputy Comptroller, Adaniya Farouk, among other officials.
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