World Wrestling Championships: Visa Denial Puts Nigeria's Participation In Jeopardy

World Wrestling Championships: Visa Denial Puts Nigeria's Participation In Jeopardy

Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria's preparations for the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, are in turmoil after Croatian authorities denied visas to four of its top athletes, BSNSports.com.ng reports. 

In an official appeal to the President of United World Wrestling (UWW), Hon. Daniel Igali, the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), called the decision “bewildering” and “profoundly unfair.”

He argued that it goes against the principles of equality and universality that should govern global sport.

The athletes affected include notable African champions and Olympians: Genesis Miessinne Mercy, Ogunsanya Tolulope Christianah, Ojo Damola Hannah, and Izolo Stephen Simon.

Igali explained that the Croatian embassy’s refusal was based on concerns about whether the athletes would return to Nigeria after the competition.

However, he described this reasoning as unfounded for athletes who are officially accredited and government-funded.

“These are not unproven competitors. Ojo Damola Hannah and Izolo Stephen Simon both won their first African titles this year, while Ogunsanya Christianah and Genesis Mercy are multi-time African champions who represented Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” he said.

Igali stressed that the World Championships are crucial for the athletes' qualification journey to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

He warned that excluding them would severely damage their careers and send a harmful message, suggesting African athletes are treated as second-class participants in international sport.

 “Our team is scheduled to depart for Zagreb on September 13, 2025. Time is running out,” Igali pleaded, urging UWW to take immediate action and intervene with Croatian authorities to ensure the athletes receive their visas.

The NWF president concluded by calling on the global wrestling leadership to safeguard the rights of all athletes and ensure that merit, not nationality, remains the primary factor in determining who competes at international events.