#NFRoundup

NF Roundup Blog, Jan. 25 - Jan. 31

Friday, January 29, 2021 - 14:22 By United World Wrestling Press

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NWF Announce Preparations For African Championships, Olympic Qualifiers

The Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) announced plans to get the country’s wrestlers ready for the Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament from 2nd to 4th April and the preceding 2021 African Championships from 6th – 11th April, both in El Jadida, Morocco.

Team Nigeria wrestlers returned to action for the first time in almost a year at the recently-concluded Baraza Champion of Champions tournament in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, which was held from 15th to 18th January.

Speaking on behalf of the federation, President of the body Hon. Daniel Igali disclosed that the wrestlers will commence preparations for the doubleheader in Morocco with the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Benin Edo State from 14th to 28th February, before going into an intensive close-camping in Yenagoa a week after the Festival.

The World and Olympic champion added that the plan is to have each wrestler compete in about 15 bouts prior to the qualifiers in Morocco.

“The National Sports Festival which comes up from the 14th to 28th of February will also be another avenue to test themselves and to get ready for the competitions (African Champions and Olympic qualifiers),” Igali, who is also the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Bayelsa State, said. “Those are all preparatory grounds.

“However, after the National Sports Festival, we are going to give the athletes about a one week break so they can go home, catch up with friends and family, and then, we will invite them back to camp (In Yenagoa) essentially to prepare for these all-important African Championships and Olympic qualifiers.

“During the camp, we expect to bring in about three different training partners per person. We want to have every athlete going to the Olympic qualifiers and African Championships to also, within the camp, have about 10 matches. Our goal is to get everyone about 15 matches before going to the Olympic qualifiers and African Championships in Morocco.

“So, that’s what we plan, and we think that if we are able to get everybody competing about 15 times before then, we should be fine. Our target will be met.”

World No. 2 in 57kg Women Wrestling Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) is the only Nigerian to have qualified for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games which runs from 23rd July to 8th August this year. However, the NWF is hopeful, at least, seven more wrestlers would join her to Tokyo for the Games.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nigeria paraded seven wrestlers.

On his path to Paris, Burroughs makes a stop in Taraz

Thursday, November 2, 2023 - 19:15 By Vinay Siwach

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TARAZ, Kazakhstan (November 2) -- The sports hall at the 'Athletic' Hotel in Taraz is full of boxing world champions and medalists. The Kazakhstan boxers are preparing for an upcoming domestic tournament.

A few meters away from the boxing ring are two wrestling mats, crowded with wrestlers from various countries. But as Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) begins his training, one mat is slowly vacated with wrestlers moving to the other.

It's his final training session before he steps on the mat on Friday as the six-time world champion will wrestle at the Kunayev DA tournament in the south Kazakhstan city. Back at 74kg after almost three years, Burroughs gearing up for the Paris Olympics next year.

Once Burroughs begins his drills, mobiles are out to record, a few others watch and admire, and even the boxers pause briefly and catch a glimpse. He spars with Joseph MCKENNA (USA) who is participating in the tournament at 65kg. The 30-minute session has Burroughs defend McKenna's shots, and work on finishing leg attacks and some heavy-hands. The sparring is followed by a long session of skipping ropes. 

As the 35-year-old cools down, there are a few requests for photographs from young kids and other wrestlers. He obliges.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)

The DA Kunayev tournament in Taraz will be Burroughs' first international appearance since the 2022 World Cup in Iowa. While the United States won the gold there, Burroughs personally suffered a big loss. He lost, for the first time in his career, to an Iranian wrestler Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI).

He tried making the U.S. team for the World Championships this year at 79kg but lost the trials to Chance MATSTELLER (USA). So what is Burroughs doing in Taraz at the end of the 2023 season?

"There is no international tournament in 2023 after this one," Brandon SLAY (USA), the coach with Burroughs in Taraz, said. "The Pan-Am Games or this. Burroughs coming down to 74kg meant we need to do this gradually but wrestling at Pan-Am Games would mean to make 74kg at scratch."

A two-kilogram allowance in Taraz helps Burroughs as he slowly shifts back to 74kg, an Olympic weight class in which he won gold in the 2012 London Games and now looking to repeat in Paris.

But the road to Paris is filled with challenges. Domestically, Burroughs will have to win the Olympic trial in April, going through four-time world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) who qualified the weight for the U.S. in Belgrade by winning silver. But to reach Dake, Burroughs will have to beat some of the best wrestlers in the U.S. including Jason NOLF (USA), Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA), Keegan O'TOOLE (USA), the top four U.S. wrestlers from this month's Bill Farrell International, the top five wrestlers from the National Championships in December, the 2024 NCAA champion and the 2024 Pan-American Championships champion. Marsteller is also qualified for the Olympic trial and can compete if he decides to drop to 74kg in April.

Perhaps that's what made Burroughs take the trip to Kazakhstan. This will be his first invitational tournament in six years.

"Kazakhstan has been amazing," Slay said. "We participated here last year for the first time and this was in our minds this year as well. The organizers have been very accommodating. Despite the long travel, it's reasonable to stay and wrestle here. We get to wrestle international wrestlers so that is what we were looking for."

Burroughs is up against the U20 Asian champion from Kazakhstan Yerkhan BEXULTANOV (KAZ) and if he manages to reach the final in the 20-man bracket on Saturday, he is likely to get another Kazakhstan wrestler.

"He is the only American in the bracket so we are not thinking too much," Slay said. "I am pretty satisfied with the brackets here."

Back in the sports hall, Burroughs rests himself for a brief period before calling it a day. No signs of aggressive reduction of weight. He will perhaps step on the weighing scale more than once before he actually does on Friday morning for the weigh-ins.

That is when Burroughs' battle for the Paris Olympics at 74kg begins.