At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Team Nigeria secured two medals, with wrestler Blessing Oborududu clinching a silver medal in the women’s 68 kg freestyle wrestling event.

In an interview with New Telegraph’s CHARLES OGUNDIYA, national women’s wrestling coach, Purity Akor, discussed the team’s ambitions for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, emphasizing their goal to improve on their 2020 performance. Excerpts…

How does it feel for you to get to another Olympics as a coach?

It’s another Olympics, Paris 2024, I am very happy to be part of the team again, I want to thank the Almighty God, the board of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation headed by Daniel Igali, I also want to thank the Ministry of Sports Development, I am so happy to be part of the team.

What has been the preparation like for the team?

Our preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics have been a very good journey. We started early enough, as you know, the president of the federation is an Olympics and world champion, so he understands the importance of early preparation, so we started camping early, we attended competitions in Europe and we also kept our eyes on our foreign athletes based in the US, now we are in Germany preparing for the final stage and we pray that we would not labour in vain.

Surely there will be a lot of expectations on you after one of your athletes, Blessing Oborududu won silver at the last Games. How are you managing the pressure?

I know there are lots of expectations from wrestling, after what Oborududu did at the last Games, winning a silver medal for Nigeria. There will be a lot of expectations from Nigerians, and from our fans, but I can tell you in fairness that I am not under any pressure, the federation has been very supportive, they gave me a free hand to work, and they have been there, so I am not under any pressure at all. I am sure by the special grace of God, we will deliver.

What was it like for you to lead a team to win the silver at the last Olympics?

It was a thing of joy for me, leading the team to win a silver medal, one of the two won by Nigeria at the last Olympics in Tokyo. It’s very historical, and memorable; honestly, I, ‘m privileged to be part of the team that gave Nigeria the silver medal. I am very happy and that’s something I will never forget in my entire life as a coach, it’s a thing of joy.

Oborududu was just a moment away from winning the gold, would you say you were disappointed it didn’t happen?

I was not disappointed when Blessing was at the final and ended up winning the silver, I was not at all because she came out to wrestle, and give it her all but her best was not good enough leading to her losing the gold, but that moment, I was a happy man because in over 40 years before then, wrestling never won a medal at the Games, so for winning a silver, I was so happy that finally, we were getting a medal from the Olympics which for me would open doors for more.

I want to thank God, and the wrestling board, for their support and the ministry, they have been very supportive and we couldn’t have achieved that without their support.

What are the things you are planning to do better at this Games to see more of your athletes getting to the podium?

We want more of our athletes to be on the podium at the Paris Games. We have put in a lot of hard work, and a lot of effort, we are strategizing and also working on the areas in which we are weak while also working hard on the areas in which we are strong. Now, we are putting up final touches on our technical and strategies and I believe by the grace of God, we are going to do better than the last Olympic Games.

What should Nigerians expect from Nigerian wrestlers?

I just want Nigerians to keep praying for the team, and keep supporting us and I can assure them that the athletes will give out more than 100 per cent, and we will make the country smile and be proud of us.

The team moved from Spain to Germany for camping, how much will that help the team?

Yes, you are right, meaning you have been following our journey. The movement from Spain to Germany, where we are camped now, I am sure, will help keep us from distractions; it’s a quiet place where we can plan how to do better in the Paris 2024 Olympics, we are making the final preparations here and I think and sure it will help us.

As a coach, handling women, how have you been able to manage because women are always a fragile breed?

As a coach handling a women’s team, when I started, it was a big challenge, but when I attended some courses on how to train and manage female athletes, I became an expert, being like a father figure or like a friend to them, making it a lot easier to train them.

What are your goals and aspirations in Paris?

My goals and aspirations in the Paris 2024 Games are to do well and win multiple medals by the grace of God. The athletes are almost ready and understand the implications of what is before them. They are putting a lot into their training and I am happy with their efforts.