Blessing Oborududu, a silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has been voted as Africa’s sole representative to the United World Wrestling (UWW) Athletes Commission for the next four years (2021-2025).

During the 2021 World Championships in Oslo, Norway, the 10-time African champion received 90 votes from the 397 competitors who took part in the election.

In the Athletes Commission, the 32-year-old Commonwealth gold medalist will be joined by six other wrestlers from Europe (two), Asia (two), the Americas, and Oceania.

The seven members will hold a separate election to choose their chairperson on a yet-to-be determined date, according to a statement from the UWW dated October 11, 2021 and signed by its Secretary General, Michel Dusson.

The statement read in part: “These seven members will now elect the chairperson of the Commission. UWW will contact all commission members for this process.”

THEWILL recalls that Oborududu, the captain of Team Nigeria’s Women Wrestling Contingent, made history in August when she won silver in the 68kg event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, becoming the country’s first Olympic medalist in wrestling.

As THEWILL reported, Oborududu lost to American wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock.