In a thrilling display of prowess and determination, American-born wrestler Ashton Mutuwa has secured a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the latest addition to Nigeria’s wrestling contingent.

The achievement came at the African/Oceania Olympic qualifiers held in Alexandria, Egypt.

Mutuwa, who hails from Plateau State, exhibited remarkable skill and resilience as he dominated South Africa’s Justin Van Zyl with a convincing 16-8 pinfall victory, clinching the Olympic qualification.

Having recently pledged his allegiance to Nigeria over his country of birth, Mutuwa is set to make his Olympic debut in Paris, adding depth and talent to Nigeria’s wrestling lineup.

However, the journey was not as smooth for all Nigerian wrestlers at the qualifiers.

Harrison Onovwiomobohwo in the 86kg category narrowly missed out on an Olympic slot, losing to Australia’s Jayden A.LAWRENCE in a closely contested 4-4 points criteria decision.

In another setback for the Nigerian male freestyle wrestling team, Braveman Oyeinkeperemo competing in the 74kg category faced defeat in the semi-finals, succumbing to a 2-10 loss against Bacar NDUM from Guinea-Bissau.

Earlier in the tournament, hopes were high for Simeon Enozumini and Izolo Stephen.

However, both wrestlers fell short of securing semi-final berths in the men’s freestyle category, experiencing defeats in their respective round matches.