Nigeria’s preparation for the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, has been thrown into crisis following the refusal of visas to four of its top athletes by the Croatian authorities.
In an appeal addressed to the President of United World Wrestling (UWW), the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Hon. Daniel Igali, described the decision as “bewildering” and “profoundly unfair,” stressing that it undermines the principles of equality and universality in global sport.
The affected athletes include multiple African champions and Olympians: Genesis Miessinne Mercy, Ogunsanya Tolulope Christianah, Ojo Damola Hannah, and Izolo Stephen Simon.
According to Igali, the Croatian embassy cited doubts over whether the athletes would return to Nigeria as the reason for the refusal, a basis he described as unjustifiable for officially accredited and government-funded competitors.
“These are not unknown or unproven competitors, Ojo Damola Hannah and Izolo Stephen Simon both won their first African titles this year, while Ogunsanya Christianah and Genesis Mercy are multiple-time African champions who represented Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” he said.
Igali emphasised that participation in the World Championships is a critical step in the athletes’ journey towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. He warned that excluding them would not only damage their careers but also send a troubling message that athletes from Africa are treated as second-class participants on the global stage.
“Our team is scheduled to depart for Zagreb on September 13, 2025. Time is of the essence,” Igali appealed, calling on UWW to intervene directly with Croatian authorities to ensure the athletes are granted visas immediately.
The NWF president concluded by urging wrestling’s global leadership to protect the rights of all athletes and ensure that merit—not nationality—remains the sole determinant of participation in international competitions.
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