Some men love our muscular bodies, others get scared –Nigeria’s female wrestlers

When Aminat Adeniyi started as a wrestler, she didn’t think it would be her career as she only intended to practise it for the fun of it.

She said, “I started wrestling while I was in secondary school because I enjoyed fighting while I was much younger but I was more interested in handball.”.

Adeniyi, an African and commnwealth champion, said she just stubbornly loved to fight while she was much younger, so she summoned courage to go to a coach back then to tell him that he wanted to learn how to fight.

She added that she thought learning wrestling would empower her to beat those who oppressed her until she was told that as a professional, she couldn’t just engage anyone in a fight.

She stated, “I used to go for handball training at the stadium. But on that day, I went to the wrestling coach that I wanted to join his team. The coach told me to sit and watch the wrestlers. After watching for a while, he told me to fight with one of the girls in his team. I did well and he was pleased with me and that was how I took special interest in it.’’

Adeniyi stated that the success of her career was connected to the coach and others especially in getting the consent of her parents.

Getting parental approval was a major issue for many especially those choosing wrestling as a career.

She said, “My coach took it more personally than me. I was just doing it for fun but he saw it as a profession. He motivated and guided me. When I told my mum that I wanted to be a wrestler, my mum kicked against it. She was always telling me that they would break my bones and that l shouldn’t bother about venturing into it. But my coach really helped to persuade my mum. After much persuasion, my mum agreed to it but told me to be careful. Today, I am grateful that my mum is proud of me.”

Adeniyi who is an African and a commonwealth champion narrated her journey in wrestling. “It has been joy and nothing but joy,” she stated with nostalgia as she dwelt on how she had gained tremendously from being a wrestler. She noted that she never thought she could earn so much from wrestling. “I have really excelled in my career and I cannot but thank God for what I have achieved from wrestling,” she added.

Choosing wrestling by accident

Like Adeniyi, Bisola Makanjuola , a 2020 African champion in 59.0kg in women wrestling, got into wrestling by accident while training as a swimmer. She said she used to go to the stadium from childhood for her swimming classes even though her parents didn’t like the fact that she was learning how to swim then.

She said, “They didn’t want me to be a swimmer for according to them they didn’t want me to die prematurely.”

Makanjuola reflected on how she ventured into wrestling, adding that she was just at the right place at the right time.

She stated, “It was one of the days when I went to the stadium at Akure, in Ondo State and I watched some girls as they fought. And after watching them for a while, I told the coach that I also wanted to join them in the fight. The coach was a bit surprised but he allowed me to fight and surprisingly, I beat the girls and the coach was impressed.

“When I got home and told my parents that I wanted to go into wrestling, they didn’t give me a listening ear. They told me they didn’t want me to break my bones. He simply refused. But thanks to my coach who went all the way to persuade them to release me that I could become someone great through wrestling.”

The African champion said that after much pleadings and persuasions, her parents allowed her.

She stated, “One day, they followed me to the stadium to see how we normally trained. Having watched me, they told the coach that he should take care of me and make sure that no harm came to me.

“That was how I chose wrestling as career and I don’t regret a bit. The career has taken me to places that my mates haven’t been to.”

Luck also shone on Sunmisola Balogun when she participated in the Ogun State Sports Festival and their coach needed someone who could fight in one of their games.

Balogun is a two-time juniour African Champion and African champion in the 65 kg category.

She said, “I was into gymnastics and in 2009, we went for Ogun State Sports Festival and coach Purity (wrestling coach) needed someone to wrestle in the 30kg weight category and I decided to do that. I fought and won gold. That was how I became a wrestler.’’

The wrestling champion with various gold medals to her credit said that she was able to forge ahead and rise early in her career because she got the encouragement and mentorship of her coach.

She said, “When we returned to the Ondo State gym, I became courageous as our coach continued to support and encourage me.”

Balogun said it was easy for her to wrestle at the championship because she was used to watching wrestlers at the stadium whenever she was there. From watching them, she said she learnt fighting techniques.

She added, “We train in the same gym and I used to watch them especially when others were wrestling (I learnt by watching train) though I am stubborn while I was much younger.’’

The female wrestlers like many other professionals trod rough paths while growing up especially in getting their parents’ approval.

Balogun said though she got her father’s consent, her mother kicked against it and did everything to discourage her. She however stated that she made up her mind to be undeterred and glad that she made it big. She stated that having made something good out of wrestling, her mother supports her and her dad is now dead.

She added, “My dad supported me but my mum didn’t because she does not like combat games. Sometimes, she doubled my house chores whenever it was time for training. There were days I ran away from home to train and I knew that once I did that there would be no food waiting for me. I didn’t mind because I knew my dad would keep food for me. I am happy now because those times had become past. I made a whole lot from wrestling and I am grateful that I have a good story to tell.”

Blessing Oburodudu’s story of how she got into wrestling isn’t different from others lucky to have found themselves in it.

She stated, “I was into sports while in secondary school and during inter-house sports, I used to participate in javelin, sprint and wrestling but it wasn’t professional wrestling. Usually, we used to have some professionals who served as judges during wrestling.

“There was an inter-house sport we had and many dignitaries visited our school. After watching me perform, I was invited to the National Sports Festival Camp in Bayelsa. I attended a girls only school.”

Oburodudu who is a nine-time African champion a nd a bronze medalist at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking series tournament in Rome, Italy, said she was unsure whether to take to wrestling but somehow found herself in it and fame found her.

She added, “After my exams, I visited a friend who was into taekwondo at the camp. She advised me to join the wrestling club that I have much to gain from it. I met a female wrestler who told me where others were camped. After the camp, they held me back that I couldn’t return home. I told them I didn’t bring anything with me. They told me not to worry about that. That was how I got into the profession.”

Like others, she also struggled for approval from her parents but hers was her brother who she lived with at the time. But fortunately for her, with the help of her coach, she was allowed to fully engage in what she loved.

She stated, “I was living with my elder brother, Andrew Oburodudu who was a police officer. I told him that I wanted to become a wrestler. He smiled and told me that it wasn’t possible. He said if I wanted to do anything sports-related, I should be a footballer. Besides, he wanted me to school in the North to be more exposed beyond schooling.

“I didn’t let that discourage me; I went for training behind him. As a police officer, he was always away from home early in the morning and wouldn’t return until late at night. I kept going for the training without his consent.”

She stated that one night her brother woke her up to tell her about some failed wrestlers in order for her to see reasons why she should not follow the career path.

Oburodudu said, “One night, my brother woke me up to tell me about how my adventure into wrestling was a futile journey. He begged me not to be like any of the local wrestlers who didn’t taste professionalism and ended up in their villages. I went back to sleep but his words were in my head. I was almost going to quit that day but my coach kept encouraging me not to give up.

“I continued attending the training. Then one day, my brother called me and said he had given me the go-ahead to continue with wrestling that he met my coach and he persuaded him that he was sure that I would make it big in life. That was how I got my brother’s approval.”

She added that she was happy that she gained a lot from the career she gave her all.

‘Our love lives’

Adeniyi stated that she was used to guys pulling out ones they learnt she was a wrestler, adding that such hadn’t stopped her from seeking the best qualities in a man.

She stated that there were occasions when she could have got along with some guys but once they heard that she was a wrestler, they would withdraw from her.

The commonwealth champion narrated that there was an occasion she had met a guy at a party and they started to communicate deeply until she disclosed that she was a wrestler and the guy went blank.

She said, “I am used to some men saying that they were scared of dating a female wrestler because they would get beaten up by them. In some cases where we got along well, once they find out that I am a wrestler, they just back off.

“There was the case of a guy I met at someone’s wedding. Of course, I wasn’t dressed like an athlete and we got along well. We continued communication from then and in one of our conversations, he asked what I did for a living.

“He had an idea that I was into sports but he didn’t know the exact sports. I told him I was a wrestler. I could see the shock all over him. He didn’t say anything at first, so I sustained the conversation telling him that ‘see you, you don’t know I can beat you.’ It was as if I loosened whatever was tying his mouth.

“He said, ‘exactly, you will be beating me. I cannot say anything in the house oh.’ He went on and on. But when he got a hold of himself, he tried to manage the situation as if he wasn’t scared but I already got the message.’’

She noted that it was the last she heard of the guy and subsequently whenever he chatted her up, he would simply drop a message saying, “Hello, madam wrestler.”

She added that she wasn’t offended by the episode as she was aware of the qualities she wanted in her man.

Adeniyi added, “Of course, I wasn’t offended because I knew he wasn’t the kind of man I wanted. I want a man who loves me for me and one who is confident. A man that understands that being a wrestler is a profession and would not see me as a husband beater. One who even If he cannot beat me in the real sense wouldn’t be scared of me because I am a wrestler.

“I want a man who understands that wrestling is my profession and when I am in the house, I am his baby girl.”

Adeniyi said that after the drama she finally got her desired man.

She added, “My fiancé is the man of my dreams. Even when I joke with him and say things like I will ‘beat you up,’ he would say ‘you are kidding. You know your fight is with rules, mine is without laws. I will beat you blue black.’ We joke a lot and he doesn’t see me as a threat. Wrestling has a law that guides us that we must not fight outside of the game.”

Adeniyi said she’s lucky to have her man and fantastic in-laws.

She stated, “My parent in-laws to-be didn’t have issues with me even when my fiancé took me to meet them. They treat me like their daughter, even when they see me, they cater for me, and ask me if I am okay. They even want to know If I’m not having body pains.”

She said it was only her brother-in-laws who teased her and her fiancé once in a while that, “if you mess up, she will beat you.’’

Makanjuola explained that she is currently in a relationship and her fiancé’s proud of her as anyone would. She added that he adored her as much as her profession.

She said, “I have a fiancé and he is one of my major support systems. He is proud of me and what I do for a living. Whenever I have competition, he would post my picture on his social media accounts to support me. He is my dream man.

“Of course, I experienced guys who were scared of what I do for a living. Some met meet me online to say they wanted to date me, but whenever they found out what I do, they would run away. There were some who just wanted friendship and those who were proud of my career. I got a mix of men. For those who avoided me for being a wrestler, I saw them as not worthy of me because it means they didn’t love me.”

Balogun, who said she was not currently in a relationship, added that she had no experience when a guy was intimidated by her career. She however said she had friends who told her that with her muscles no man would want to marry her.

“I haven’t had a situation where a man ran away from me because I am a wrestler. But my friends complain about my muscles. They also teased me that whenever I got married I would beat my husband. I told them that no well-trained lady would raise her hands on her husband especially when she is married to a cool man. Moreover, wrestling is my profession, I am not a street fighter.”

On her part, Oburodudu stated that generally, people appreciated her while some were usually in shock knowing that she’s of a smallish stature yet a wrestler.

She said there were those who liked her as an athlete while others didn’t see anything bad in dating an athlete.

Oburodudu said, “Some get attracted to me because of my athletic body while some are scared because I am a wrestler. It is a case of one man’s food is another man’s poison.

On whether she lost a relationship because of being a wrestler, she said she had not experienced such.

She added, “It is possible for such to happen but I never had such a case before. I am a professional and we were not taught to fight on the street or fight our husbands. Any man in my life who is mine must love me and what I do as well as what I do for a living.”

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