The Nigerian Wrestling Federation (NWF) has announced plans to establish a training camp at Iowa State University in the U.S. ahead of the 2026 World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
A statement by the federation on Sunday in Abuja said the NWF President, Bashir Adeniyi, had approved the establishment of the camp ahead of the championships scheduled for Oct. 24 to Nov. 1.
The camp is aimed at bringing together Nigerian wrestlers based in different parts of the U.S., providing them with an opportunity to train collectively ahead of the championship.
The statement said some of Nigeria’s top wrestlers currently studying in the U.S. would undergo training at the camp, while several home-based wrestlers with valid U.S. visas would also join the programme.
The NWF added that the camp would be open to new talents willing to join the national wrestling team.
“Nigerian-born athletes residing in the U.S. who are eligible and willing to represent Nigeria will have the opportunity to participate in the training programme, providing a platform for identifying and integrating talented wrestlers of Nigerian descent into the national team setup,” the statement said.
Reacting to the development, Nigeria’s women’s wrestling coach, Purity Akuh, thanked the federation for the initiative.
“I sincerely thank the NWF President, Adeniyi, for this initiative,” he said.
“Opportunities such as the Iowa training camp are important for exposing Nigerian wrestlers to world-class facilities, high-level competition, and some of the best athletes and coaches in the sport,” Purity said.
