Team Nigeria dazzle in Riyadh as record-breaking medal haul lights up the games

By Maxwell Kumoye 

 

Team Nigeria delivered one of their finest international performances yet, storming to 11 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze medals at the Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025 Games to finish 8th overall.

This is Team Nigeria highest placement in the history of the Games and it's a massive leap from the 6 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze recorded in 2021.

The competition featured 57 nations, with 41 making the medal table. 

Africa shone brightly too, with 16 African countries winning medals and seven cracking the top 20. 

Egypt led the continent in emphatic fashion, finishing 5th overall with 17 gold, 11 silver and 17 bronze.

But the spotlight belonged to Nigeria.

NIGERIA’S FINEST HOUR

Across 18 days of fierce competition, Team Nigeria showed grit, quality, and depth. Every sport entered picked up at least one medal, an achievement that left the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Honourable Bukola Olopade, both elated and satisfied.

Director General of the NSC, Hon Bukola Olopade said while the Commission is very happy with the outing in Riyadh, it will be very important to build on it ahead of next year's Commonwealth Games and future international competitions.

"We will surely see how we will step up the sustainability strategies that gave us these results in Riyadh which is why we will increase our collaborations and support for the various Sports Federations to deliver on both the Sports economy and the podium mandate given to us by Mr President."

Athletics delivered some of the biggest headlines, with Nigeria striking gold in the women’s 4x100m relay and the 4x400m mixed relay, reaffirming the nation’s relay tradition on the global stage. 

The field events also delivered, a silver in women’s shot put and a bronze in the men’s javelin kept the momentum rolling.

Wrestling was brutal and brilliant, grabbing 2 gold and 2 silver, while weightlifting stole the show with a massive 6 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze, the single biggest medal haul for the country in any sport.

Taekwondo, boxing (1 silver), para athletics (1 silver), and para powerlifting (multiple podium finishes) also did their part, proving Nigeria’s growing strength across multiple disciplines.

A STEPPING STONE TO BIGGER BATTLES

The Riyadh Games were more than a medal hunt—they were part of the strategic build-up for the Commonwealth Games, the CAA Senior Athletics Championships, and the ultimate global stage, the 2028 Olympic Games. 

With this performance, Team Nigeria has sent a message, the pipeline is strong, the athletes are ready, and the nation is rising.

AFRICA HOLDS ITS OWN

Behind Egypt and Nigeria in the continental standings were Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Uganda, and Cameroon, completing Africa’s impressive representation in the top 20.

A GAMES TO REMEMBER

As the curtain fell after 18 days of electrifying competition, the organizers hailed the athletes for leaving an unforgettable mark on Riyadh2025.

Team Nigeria didn’t just show up—they showed out. History made, standards raised, and confidence soaring, Nigeria’s journey to the next global stage has never looked brighter.