#WomensDay2022

Olympic Champ Focken: Women Inspire Women

Monday, March 7, 2022 - 19:00 By Aline Focken

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 8) -- Happy International Women's Day to all the great women wrestlers worldwide! And to those great people who empower these women to live their dreams -- the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, coaches and friends who support our strong women in their internal and external development -- we could not do this wonderful sport without you. 

Now, to all of you strong girls and women worldwide; I know there's resistance, and there are so many obstacles that you have to overcome. I know that not everyone supports what you do and that it is much harder for women to convince people of our great potential. However, do not worry about them. I have experienced this for many years. Just know that these are not your limitations but theirs.

Germany is a modern and progressive country but women who wrestle are still a minority.

I started wrestling when I was four years old and was the only girl wrestling with 40-50 boys for over 15 years. Of course, it was hard. Many boys were always trying to beat me up, and they did. Nevertheless, I worked harder and listened to my coaches, ultimately becoming my country, state and club's most successful wrestler ever.

Moreover, I married, had many friends -- inside and outside the sport -- and earned a master's degree without being "a right woman."

Suddenly, I earned everyone's respect.

Smile at those critical people, pick the right individuals willing to help and work professionally with you, and show them what you got.

Yes, we are far from having the same rights and chances as men anywhere in the world but I think we are on the right path. It's getting better and better.

Just 18 years ago, the Olympic Games welcomed women's wrestling as a sport with four weight classes. Nine years later, we grew to six Olympic weight classes and our style is growing faster than ever. More and more countries are promoting and developing women's wrestling, which excites me to see where we'll be in 10 years.

But we need more strong and brave women going this way to show every critic that we are worth being promoted.

Despite the obstacles and years of hard work, I will never regret choosing this way. Nothing else has taught me more in life than wrestling. There's no better feeling than beating up on the boys and showing the entire world our capabilities!  

So, keep going, tell all the little girls how beautiful wrestling is and enjoy every minute of your journey! You are already the best role models for so many people out there and you should be proud of how far you have come!

[Aline FOCKEN (GER) won the 76kg gold medal at the Tokyo Games and became Germany's first-ever Olympic champion]

#WrestleAlexandria

Ndum, Fafe repeat as African champs; Nigeria sweeps WW

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - 20:47 By Vinay Siwach

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ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (March 19) -- Egypt dominated Greco-Roman on day one of the senior African Championships with nine out of 10 gold medals and the team title. While it won the team title in Freestyle, it could not repeat the golden performance of the Greco team.

Egypt finished at the top of the podium with 205 points with Algeria finishing second with 170 points. Senegal finished third with 96 points. The three countries shared eight gold medals amongst themselves and the remaining two went to Guinea Bissau.

Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) and Bacar NDUM (GBS) became the African champions for the second time after winning the 57kg and 74kg gold medals respectively.

Iuna Fafe was defending his 57kg gold medal and opened his account with a 5-1 win over KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN). He followed that up with a fall over Omar FAYE (SEN) and then pinned Roland TAMBI NFORSONG (CMR) in the final after leading 8-0.

Ndum, who won the 70kg title in 2022, won the gold medal at 74kg after blanking Saad BOUGUERRA (ALG), 10-0, in the final. But his first bout was a see-saw that he won 13-12 against Mohamed ABDELHADY (EGY). Ndum had built a 7-0 lead in the first period but Abdelhady hit a beautiful reverse trip to score a four-pointer and then rolled Ndum three times to lead 10-7 with 1:04 left.

Ndum would put Abdelhady on his back for four before a reversal forced him to give up a point. Abdelhady led 11-11 on criteria when Ndum challenged and lost to give him a clear 12-11 lead with 31 seconds left.

That time was enough for Ndum to finish another takedown and lead 13-12 as he played out the final 18 seconds without further drama.

Iuna Fafe and Ndum will now look to earn a spot for Paris next weekend at the African & Oceania OG Qualifiers.

Egypt was carried by Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY) who won the 65kg gold medal after beating Zohier IFTENE (ALG), 8-6, in the final. At 86kg, Mohamed ABDELAAL (EGY) overcame Oussama ABDELLAOUI (ALG), 11-4 and won the gold medal.

Youssif HEMIDA (EGY) was far more convincing as he won his final against Ashton MUTUWA (NGR), 11-0. Mohamed SALAHELDIN (EGY) at 92kg earned the bronze medal in a three-wrestler bracket.

Tokyo Olympian Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) had moved to 61kg for the championships and won the gold medal in the new weight category. He defeated Didier DIATTA (SEN), 16-5, in a high-scoring final. In all likelihood, Kherbache will move to 57kg for the qualifiers.

Abderrahmane BENAISSA (ALG) added another gold medal for Algeria after he defeated Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), 7-5, in the 70kg final as Algeria won its third gold medal of the night.

Pape NDIAYE (SEN) stunned everyone as he defeated Abdelrahman ABOUHEIBA (EGY), via fall, in the 97kg final. Ndiaye won all his bouts via technical superiority or via fall.

Nigeria sweeps

Nigeria won all five gold medals on offer as the Asian Championships ended. It had won four out of the five on Monday and added five more.

At 50kg, Mercy GENESIS (NGR) defeated Rosine NTSA ASSOUGA (CMR), via fall, to announce her name as the favorite to earn a Paris ticket at the qualifiers from  March 22 to 24.

Adijat IDRIS (NGR), Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR), Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR) and Ebi BIOGOS (NGR) won the gold medals at 55kg, 59kg, 65kg and 72kg.

With nine gold and one silver medal, Nigeria won the team title with 245 points out of the possible 250 points. Egypt finished second with 162 points while Tunisia is third with 140 points.

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RESULTS

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) df. Roland TAMBI NFORSONG (CMR), via fall (8-0)

BRONZE: KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN) df. Omar FAYE (SEN), 2-1
BRONZE: Abdelrahman MAHMOUD (EGY) df. Alexander BUCKMAN (CPV), 10-0

61kg
GOLD: Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) df. Didier DIATTA (SEN), 16-5

BRONZE: Hassan ELSAYED (EGY) df. Reginaldo da SILVA (ANG), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY) df. Zohier IFTENE (ALG), 8-6

BRONZE: Manaceu NGONDA (ANG) df. Sylvio DIATTA (SEN), 13-3
BRONZE: Stephen IZOLO (NGR) df. Gibriel CHOW (GAM), via walkover

70kg
GOLD: Abderrahmane BENAISSA (ALG) df. Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), 7-5

BRONZE: Brendin LOUW (RSA) df. Ya Mouhamed NDONG (SEN), via fall (2-4)

74kg
GOLD: Bacar NDUM (GBS) df. Saad BOUGUERRA (ALG), 10-0

BRONZE: Joao BARBOSA (CPV) df. Jacques MONTY (CMR), 10-0
BRONZE: Mohamed ABDELHADY (EGY) df. Arno VAN ZIJL (RSA), 11-7

79kg
GOLD: Chems FETAIRIA (ALG)
SILVER: Nasser SAYED (EGY)
BRONZE: Mohamed BEN JAAFAR (TUN)

86kg
GOLD: Mohamed ABDELAAL (EGY) df. Oussama ABDELLAOUI (ALG), 11-4

BRONZE: Harrison ONOVWIOMOGBOHWO (NGR) df. Mark ONGUYESI (KEN), 10-0
BRONZE: Matteo MONTEIRO (CPV) df. Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR), 5-3

92kg
GOLD: Mohamed SALAHELDIN (EGY)
SILVER: Issa RHIMI (TUN)
BRONZE: Yacine LAKROUT (ALG)

97kg
GOLD: Pape NDIAYE (SEN) df. Abdelrahman ABOUHEIBA (EGY), via fall (10-0)

BRONZE: Franck ANABA (CMR) df. Amoussou CAKPO (BEN), via inj. (4-1)

125kg
GOLD: Youssif HEMIDA (EGY) df. Ashton MUTUWA (NGR), 11-0

BRONZE: Justin VAN ZYL (RSA) df. Georges TCHADIE (CMR), via fall (4-0)
BRONZE: Modou FAYE (SEN) df. Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG), 15-4

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Mercy GENESIS (NGR) df. Rosine NTSA ASSOUGA (CMR), via fall

BRONZE: Nourhene HEDHLI (TUN) df. Matilda KOKERA (RSA), via fall
BRONZE: Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG) df. Malak AHMED (EGY), 13-2

55kg
GOLD: Adijat IDRIS (NGR)
SILVER: Aya SOLIMAN (EGY)
BRONZE: Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)

59kg
GOLD: Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
SILVER: Hana HUSSEIN (EGY)
BRONZE: Chahd JELJELI (TUN)

65kg
GOLD: Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR)
SILVER: Badawi HAMDOUN (EGY)
BRONZE: Ikome VIOLETTE NAMONDO (CMR)

72kg
GOLD: Ebi BIOGOS (NGR)
SILVER: AYA ICHAOUI (TUN)
BRONZE: Aimelda NDIFFO (SEN)