By Joy Odor
By BusinessDay Style Desk
Nigeria’s wrestling calendar for 2026 will begin not with ceremony, but with combat.
The Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) has announced a high-stakes national trial that will determine the country’s elite women wrestlers for the 2026 season, setting the stage for a fiercely competitive showdown in Asaba, Delta State.
According to an official notice signed by the Federation’s Secretary General, Oluwasegun Bode Ademisoro, the trials will commence on January 6, 2026, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Stephen Keshi Stadium.
The exercise is designed to select national team members across four critical weight categories, at a time when the federation is under pressure to preserve merit and transparency in athlete selection.
The decision to hold the trials follows an unexpected disruption in the federation’s competitive calendar.
The 4th Governor Douye Diri National Wrestling Championship traditionally used to rank national team athletes was postponed indefinitely after the sudden death of Bayelsa State’s Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, less than 48 hours before the event.
With rankings frozen and competitive balance at stake, the federation opted for a decisive alternative.
“The trials have become imperative,” the NWF said, framing the exercise as a safeguard for fairness, meritocracy and competitive integrity, as Nigeria identifies wrestlers to carry its colours through the 2026 international season.
Only four women’s weight divisions will be contested: 53kg, 57kg, 62kg and 68kg.
Each category will feature four invited athletes, selected based on their performances at major national competitions, including the National Championships and the National Sports Festival.
The lineup reads like a roll call of Nigeria’s most consistent female wrestling talents.
In the 53kg category, Ogunsanya Christiana (Oyo), Ayelon Mary (Bayelsa), Zannu Mausi (Lagos) and Ayo Esewi (Edo) will battle for supremacy.
The 57kg class pits Bekefula Tarilayefa (Bayelsa) against Jumuoke Adekoye (Ondo), Onize Umman (Rivers) and Esosuakpo Faith (Edo) in what insiders expect to be one of the most technically intense divisions.
At 62kg, national standout Esther Kolawole (Rivers) faces strong challenges from Precious Tiebiri (Delta), Appah Blessing (Nasarawa) and Bayelsa’s Patience Kakan.
The 68kg category brings star power and institutional rivalry into sharp focus, with Odede Rita (Nasarawa), Joseph Deborah (Osun), Reuben Hannah (Nigerian Army) and internationally celebrated Adekuoroye Mercy (Ondo) set for a defining contest.
Federation officials say the trials will offer no room for sentiment only performance will count.
Meanwhile, the NWF confirmed that a new date for the postponed Governor Douye Diri National Wrestling Championship will be announced later.
That event will be used to determine rankings for other weight classes not covered in the January trials.
For now, all eyes turn to Asaba, where careers will be tested, national colours will be earned, and Nigeria’s 2026 wrestling story will begin not on paper, but on the mat.
