Nigeria Breaks Record with 30-Medal Islamic Games Finish

..finishes 8th on overall standings, secures Africa’s second best placement

Team Nigeria recorded its strongest outing yet at the Islamic Solidarity Games, finishing eighth on the overall medals table with 30 medals and securing Africa’s second-best placement at the event in Riyadh.

The impressive haul 11 gold, 12 silver, and 7 bronze marks the country’s best performance in the history of the Games.

Turkey topped the final standings, but Nigeria’s achievement stood out as a major milestone for the National Sports Commission (NSC), which has pursued a strategy of sending athletes with high podium potential to priority international competitions.

Nigeria competed in seven sports Taekwondo, Boxing, Athletics, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Para-Powerlifting, and Para-Athletics and made the podium in each, a feat officials described as unprecedented in the nation’s participation at the Games.

Weightlifting delivered Nigeria’s strongest outing, contributing 6 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze. Athletics followed with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze, while Wrestling added 2 gold and 2 silver. Para-Powerlifting produced 1 gold, as Boxing and Para-Athletics each secured a silver medal. Taekwondo completed the tally with 1 bronze.

READ ALSO: Abeokuta Set for Historic West Africa Para Games as 10 Sports Debut in 5 Days

Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said the results validated the commission’s new approach to athlete selection and international preparation.

“It is not a coincidence that Nigeria won medals in every sport we participated in at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games,” Olopade said. “This achievement reflects the new direction we have taken in sports development. After meetings with our team and the Elite and Podium Board led by Yusuf Ali, we deliberately brought only podium prospects to Riyadh and that decision has paid off.”

Olopade added that the Riyadh performance now serves as the benchmark for Nigeria’s future global engagements.

“From Boxing to Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Track and Field and Powerlifting, Nigeria secured medals in every sport we entered. This is the new standard guiding our preparations for upcoming competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and ultimately the Olympics,” he said.

Sports officials noted that Team Nigeria’s record-breaking showing in Riyadh represents a defining moment in the country’s sporting evolution and further solidifies its emergence as a rising force in multi-sport events globally.