Team Nigeria ended its track and field campaign at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh with a strong finish, winning the Gold medal in the Mixed 4x400m relay with a season’s best time of 3:16.27. The team, consisting of Gafari Badmus, Anita Itohan Enaruna, Ezekiel Asuquo, and Patience Okon George, finished ahead of Bahrain and Turkey in a notable performance that highlighted their mix of experience and youth.
In addition to the relay success, Nigeria also secured Gold in Wrestling through Esther Kolawole in the Women’s 62kg freestyle event, while Damola Ojo earned a silver in the Women’s 76kg freestyle category. This contributed to Nigeria’s overall medal tally of 29 at the Games, including 10 Gold, 12 Silver, and 7 Bronze medals.
The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, emphasized that Nigeria’s medal success across all sports at the Games was the result of a focused strategy to bring only podium prospects to Riyadh. This marks a positive shift in Nigeria’s approach to major international competitions, aiming to uphold this success in future events such as the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.
