Team Nigeria Achieves Best-Ever Islamic Solidarity Games Finish in Riyadh, Places Eighth Overall

Team Nigeria Achieves Best-Ever Islamic Solidarity Games Finish in Riyadh, Places Eighth Overall

By Niyi Busari 

Team Nigeria delivered its strongest performance yet at the Islamic Solidarity Games, finishing eighth on the overall medals table with 30 medals and securing the second-highest placement among African nations. Turkey topped the standings at the end of the multisport event held in Riyadh.

The achievement caps a landmark year for the National Sports Commission (NSC), which supported more than 40 sports federations in attending international competitions many producing podium finishes across disciplines including taekwondo, swimming, cricket, para-powerlifting, and para-badminton.

Nigeria’s medal haul featured 11 gold, 12 silver, and 7 bronze medals, reflecting the NSC’s strategic approach of selecting athletes with proven podium potential for major global events.

Competing in seven sports; Taekwondo, Boxing, Athletics, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Para-Powerlifting, and Para-Athletics the Nigerian contingent reached the podium in every discipline entered, marking an unprecedented outcome for the country at the Islamic Solidarity Games.

Weightlifting emerged as Nigeria’s strongest sport, contributing 6 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Athletics followed with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze, while Wrestling added 2 gold and 2 silver. Para-Powerlifting delivered 1 gold, and both Boxing and Para-Athletics earned 1 silver each. Taekwondo rounded off the tally with a bronze medal.

Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, commended the athletes’ exceptional performance:

 “It is no coincidence that Nigeria won medals in every sport we participated in at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games. This reflects the new direction we have taken in sports development. After strategic consultations within the Commission and with the Elite and Podium Performance Board led by Yusuf Ali, we made the deliberate decision to take only podium prospects to Riyadh—and that decision has paid off.”

Olopade added that the results set a new benchmark for Nigeria’s participation in international competitions:

 “From Boxing to Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Track and Field, and Powerlifting, Nigeria secured medals across all entries. This is the new standard at the National Sports Commission as we prepare for the Commonwealth Games and, ultimately, the Olympic Games.”

Sports officials describe Team Nigeria’s record-breaking outing as a defining moment for the country’s sporting trajectory, strengthening its profile as an emerging force in global multisport events.